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Shocking Discovery in Ecuador: Five Human Heads Found on Tourist Beach

Published January 12, 2026, 05:13
Shocking Discovery in Ecuador: Five Human Heads Found on Tourist Beach

Ecuadorian police have launched an investigation following the discovery of five human heads hung in a prominent location on a tourist beach in the southwestern part of the country. A threatening message was also found with the heads, in an area plagued by increasing violence. The macabre discovery was made in Puerto López, a popular whale-watching destination, where nine people, including a baby, had already been murdered in clashes between gangs at the end of December. Images circulating on social media show the five heads hung with ropes from wooden poles on the beach, with an inscription threatening members of gangs who extort merchants and residents. Ecuador, a major hub for cocaine trafficking, is experiencing an escalation of violence due to clashes between gangs linked to Mexican and Colombian cartels. Despite the war declared by President Daniel Noboa against the gangs, more than 4,600 murders have been committed in the first six months of 2025.