In brief
In the early hours of June 17, Carlos Alberto Suástegui Villanueva, a reputed leader of the Los Águilas gang, was shot point‑blank by two young attackers in a floral‑themed ambush outside Guayaquil’s main airport. The incident, captured on security cameras, shows one assailant pulling a gun from a teddy bear while the other fires a second shot. Police have detained teen suspects and highlighted the high murder rate that followed a nationwide emergency declaration by President Daniel Noboa. The attack has stunned locals, shutting the arrivals hall for hours and reigniting fears over escalating gang violence in Ecuador’s largest city.
Suspected Ecuadorian Gang Leader Shot Dead in Floral Ambush at Guayaquil Airport
On June 17, 2026, Carlos Alberto Suástegui Villanueva, a 39‑year‑old alleged head of the Los Águilas gang, was killed as he exited the arrivals terminal at José Joaquín de Olmedo International Airport in Guayaquil.
Security footage shows two young men holding stuffed toys and a bouquet of flowers; one steps forward, pulls a handgun from behind a teddy bear, and fires a shot that hits the victim at close range. A second gunman fires again before fleeing the scene. One bystander collapsed after the shooting, and the airport’s arrivals hall was shut for over two hours while forensic teams investigated.
Police arrested two teenagers in connection with the attack, part of an ongoing wave of gang‑related violence that has pushed Ecuador to record murder numbers. President Daniel Noboa has declared a state of emergency in 10 provinces, including Guayas, granting security forces expanded powers to search homes without warrants when suspecting illicit activity.
Los Águilas, designated a terrorist organisation by the Ecuadorian government in 2024, is heavily implicated in drug trafficking and extortion. The country sits between Colombia and Peru, the world’s two largest coca producers, making it a key corridor for cocaine trafficking to the United States, Europe, and beyond.
The shooting, which stunned spectators and caused panic among passengers, has intensified concerns over the growing threat of gangs in Ecuador’s largest city. Authorities are conducting a broader investigation into the attackers and the network they belong to.
Despite emergency measures, the murder rate reached a record high in 2025. The incident underscores the urgency of combating the Los Águilas gang and other criminal organisations that threaten public safety across the nation.
