Human heads were found on the beach in a coastal town in Ecuador. A wooden plaque was attached to the grisly discovery.
12.01.2026, 06:2012.01.2026, 06:20
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Ecuadorian police discovered several human heads on display on a tourist beach on Sunday. Photos published online showed five heads tied with ropes to two wooden posts on the beach in Puerto López in the southwest of the South American country. On a wooden board next to it, threats were made to gang members who were extorting protection money, known locally as “vaccination cards.”
A beach in Ecuador. (symbol image)Bild: keystone
«The city belongs to us. If you continue to rob fishermen and demand vaccination cards – we have already identified you,” it said. The coastal town of Puerto López is a popular whale watching destination for tourists. At least nine people, including a baby, were killed on the same beach in December in violence that authorities attributed to clashes between local gangs.
Located between Colombia and Peru – the world’s two largest producers of cocaine – Ecuador has developed into an important transit country for the drug trade. Right-wing President Daniel Noboa has declared a state of emergency in several provinces and sent troops to fight drug gangs, but so far with little success. In 2025, the murder rate was 52 per 100,000 inhabitants, according to activists fighting organized crime.
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