Shocking Discovery: Decapitated Heads Found on Ecuador Beach

Fri Feb 20 2026 08:57:42 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

In a frightening incident in Puerto López, Ecuador, five decapitated heads were discovered on a beach, believed to be a chilling warning directed at local fishermen amidst escalating gang violence.

Bathers at a Puerto López beach stumbled upon five decapitated heads displayed ominously, allegedly as a threat to local fishermen involved in drug-related crime. This brutal act underscores the alarming surge in gang violence in Ecuador, particularly along its Pacific coast, where criminal gangs are known to operate in connivance with international drug cartels. The remains are linked to missing persons, with authorities noting the gruesome finding as part of a broader cycle of violence in the area.

Bathers found five decapitated heads displayed on a beach in Ecuador in what appears to be a warning to gang members who have been threatening local fishermen. The gruesome discovery was made on Sunday on the beachfront in Puerto López, a town which has been wracked by gang violence. Next to the body parts, locals found a sign threatening those stealing from and extorting fishermen with the same fate. Ports and towns by the Pacific Ocean are among those worst hit by gangs which smuggle cocaine from Ecuador to the US and Europe.

Police have identified the remains as those of five men who had been reported missing days earlier, aged between 20 and 34. Officials stated that one of them had a criminal record for gun possession. Their bodies have not yet been located. Ecuador experienced its highest homicide rate in 2025, with 9,176 murders attributed to the growing influence of gangs tied to drug trafficking. These local gangs have aligned with powerful Mexican and Colombian drug cartels, escalating violence in the region. Recently, six individuals were killed, including a child, in a shooting linked to rival gangs.

The acts of violence from gangs like Los Choneros have become a major concern, leading to international attention and efforts to curb the drug trade's impact on Ecuador.