Overview
- Authorities confirmed the heads belong to five men aged 20 to 34 who had been reported missing, and their bodies have not been found.
- The remains were hung between wooden posts with a note threatening those accused of robbing fishermen and extorting protection payments.
- Investigators attribute the act to rival drug-trafficking groups operating on the coast, and no arrests have been publicly announced.
- The public display follows two mass shootings in Puerto López on December 27–28 that killed 12 people, which officials linked to infighting within Los Choneros.
- Ecuador recorded 9,176 homicides in 2025 as Pacific ports became key cocaine gateways, and Los Choneros is designated a terrorist organization by the US.