July 29, 2026 / 8:44 AM EDT
/ CBS/AFP
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Seven charred bodies have been found in a house in southern Ecuador, authorities said, an area of the country under a state of emergency due to rising violence. Ecuador has gone from being one of South America's safest countries to a cocaine trafficking hub in a few short years, plagued by gangs with ties to Mexican and Colombian cartels. Police said the bodies were found Tuesday inside a house in a rural area of the Canar province town of La Troncal. Two of the bodies were tied up with wire, a police report said. There was also a burned-out car outside the residence. The victims were between 21 and 30 years old, the report added, noting that the violence may be linked to a gang-related turf war. Messages including "land of Wolves" and "the Wolves are active" had been painted on the walls of the house where the bodies were found. Los Lobos — meaning "The Wolves" — is one of Ecuador's main drug trafficking and extortion gangs, with ties to international cartels. Last September, Los Lobos was designated a terrorist organization by the United States.
Last month, eight bodies were found in plastic bags in a southwestern narco-trafficking hotspot, and Ecuadoran officials said a note found at the scene suggested the victims were targeted by Los Lobos, as part of its war with the rival Los Choneros gang.
