GUAYAQUIL, Ecuador (BN24) — At least 17 people were killed and 11 others wounded when gunmen opened fire at a bar in the town of El Empalme, Ecuadorian authorities said Monday, marking one of the deadliest mass shootings in the country’s recent history as drug-related violence surges.
The attack unfolded Sunday night in El Empalme, located roughly 100 miles (160 kilometers) north of the port city of Guayaquil in coastal Guayas province—an epicenter of Ecuador’s intensifying struggle with organized crime. The attorney general’s office confirmed the death toll and said it had recovered more than 40 pieces of ballistic evidence from the scene.
Graphic images circulated by local media showed bodies sprawled across the bar floor, some covered with white sheets, while police and forensic teams worked through the night.
The motive behind the attack has not yet been confirmed, but authorities suspect the involvement of rival criminal groups vying for control over lucrative drug trafficking corridors in the region. Guayas province has become a flashpoint in Ecuador’s broader security crisis, fueled by transnational narco-networks and local gangs.
President Daniel Noboa declared an “internal armed conflict” in early 2024 in an attempt to combat the spiraling violence, deploying military forces and enacting emergency security measures. While the government reported a 15% drop in violent deaths by the end of last year, new figures from the interior ministry show a sharp reversal: homicides have surged by 47% in the first half of 2025, reaching 4,619.
Despite the increased militarization and crackdowns, attacks like Sunday’s massacre underscore the persistent reach of armed criminal networks and the mounting challenge facing Ecuador’s security forces.
Last month, the National Assembly passed a constitutional reform expanding the government’s legal authority to combat criminal organizations, including measures to dismantle their operational and financial infrastructure.
Residents of El Empalme, a farming community once far removed from Ecuador’s narco-violence, expressed fear and disbelief in the aftermath of the shooting. The attack has rattled the town, which has seen an uptick in gang activity over the past year.
Authorities have not announced any arrests and have urged witnesses to come forward. The investigation remains ongoing.
Reuters
