Guayaquil mall armed robbery leaves two gunmen dead, several arrested

On July 7 2026 an armed group attempted to rob a cash‑in‑transit vehicle inside the Río Centro Sur shopping mall in southern Guayaquil. The suspects had conducted surveillance days earlier, using the gym entrance to bypass security. When the armored car was withdrawing cash from a bank agency inside the mall, the gunmen opened fire on the security guards.

The exchange of fire resulted in two suspected assailants being killed, a third suspect captured on the scene, and a fifth arrested later. One guard was wounded. Police recovered two cash bags containing about $508,000, four firearms (three revolvers and one pistol), ammunition and a vehicle used in the escape. Investigators seized additional evidence, including video footage and ballistic material, and placed three of the detained suspects in preventive detention while the case proceeds.

The incident has heightened security concerns in Guayaquil, prompting authorities to intensify surveillance of commercial centres and cash‑in‑transit operations.