Tragic Violence Erupts in Ecuador Prison, Leaving 14 Dead and Many Injured

Police report that 13 inmates and one prison guard were killed in clashes between rival gangs at a jail in Ecuador, with an additional 14 individuals injured during the unrest.

The incident took place in the early hours of Monday in Machala, a city located in the southwestern region of Ecuador, where residents reported hearing gunfire and explosions.

Police Chief William Calle confirmed that some prisoners had escaped amidst the chaos, although 13 of them have been recaptured so far.

Clashes and riots in Ecuador's prisons are a frequent occurrence, often instigated by rival gangs seeking to assert dominance.

Preliminary findings suggest that the violence was led by the gang known as Los Lobos Box, who have not yet commented on the incident.

The violence began when alarm bells were triggered in one wing of the prison, prompting security personnel to respond. Upon arrival, inmates reportedly took some officers hostage and killed one guard.

Following this, members of Los Lobos Box allegedly stormed a rival gang's section and attacked them. Some inmates managed to flee through a hole created by explosives they detonated, although the method of smuggling these devices into the prison remains unclear.

Among the 14 injured, there are two police officers. Emergency services worked swiftly, deploying 200 police and military personnel to regain control of the prison.

Residents of Machala have been advocating for the relocation of this prison, which is situated in a central area of the city. The country is grappling with a rise in gang violence, transforming it from a relatively safe nation in Latin America into one plagued by crime.

Prison gangs like Los Lobos Box are known for orchestrating crime from behind bars, often colluding with Mexican drug cartels to gain control over cocaine trafficking routes through Ecuador.

Earlier this month, the US government designated two Ecuadorian gangs, Los Lobos and Los Choneros, as Foreign Terrorist Organizations, stating their goal is to dominate drug trafficking routes through violence and fear.