Chilling First for Ecuador: Violence Signals a New, Cartel-Style Phase in the Country’s Security Crisis

In an unprecedented and chilling incident, five human heads were found in Ecuador hanging from ropes on a popular beach in Puerto Lopez, a coastal tourist town in the country’s southwest, authorities confirmed on Sunday. The gruesome scene — believed to be a warning to organized crime groups — underscores Ecuador’s deepening security crisis as violence linked to drug cartels and local gangs escalates dramatically.