According to Ecuadorian police, four persons have been taken into custody in relation to a shooting incident at a cockfighting ring that claimed 12 lives.
Police operations in the northwest Manabí province on Friday, a day after the attack in the remote community of La Valencia, resulted in the seizure of weapons and counterfeit police and army uniforms.
Social media users shared footage of the assault, which showed horrified onlookers running for cover as gunmen entered the ring and started shooting.
According to local media reports, the attackers, who were dressed in fictitious military attire, were part of a criminal group whose rivals were present at the cockfight.
The provincial authorities have initiated a criminal investigation.
It is estimated that there are up to 20 criminal gangs fighting for control of important drug routes in the Latin American nation.
According to Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa, about 70% of the world’s cocaine currently passes through Ecuadorian ports before being sent to the US and Europe.
The two largest producers of cocaine in the world, neighboring Colombia and Peru, are the sources of the drug’s smuggling into Ecuador.
January was the deadliest month in recent years, with 781 murders. A large number of them had something to do with the illegal drug trade.
-Deeprows News
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