Criminals dressed as military officials opened fire on spectators at a cockfight in La Valencia, Ecuador, on April 17. 12 unarmed people were killed, andseveral others were severely wounded.
Security footage of the attack shows a group of at least five men entering the arena and opening fire with automatic rifles on the crowd. The attackers were dressed in replica military uniforms, which has become a more common tactic of criminal gangs in Ecuador. Recently, Ecuador has been experiencing more gang violence with the country averaging one gang related killing every hour since the start of 2025, where cartels have been fighting over cocaine routes that pass-through Ecuador’s ports.
“We have 12 people deceased as a result of an armed attack by a criminal group,” Police Colonel Renan Miller Rivera said in a press statement on April 18. He stated several people were injured, without giving an exact number as to how many.
Police have detained four people involved in the attack, including a “target of intermediate value,” according to National Police Chief Victor Hugo Zarate. Police believe the four suspects are a part of the organized criminal group called “Los R7.”
After the attack, police found discarded “military-style uniforms” and two abandoned cars on a nearby highway. One of the cars had been set on fire while the other one had been overturned.
In addition to the uniforms, police said they recovered eight rifles, four pistols, three shotguns, eight magazines, 11 cell phones, ballistic helmets and tactical gloves.
As of now, police are still unsure of the motivations behind the attack and are encouraging people who may have information to come forward.