Ecuador La Troncal massacre kills son of former Los Águilas leader

Police identified six of the seven men whose charred bodies were found inside a house on the La Limonera farm in the rural Dos Bocas sector of La Troncal, Cañar Province, on July 27‑28, 2026. Among the victims was 19‑year‑old Elkin Alexander Suástegui Paredes, the son of Carlos Suástegui Villanueva, a man the authorities had previously named as a leading figure of the criminal group Los Águilas. Suástegui was killed on June 17, 2026 near Guayaquil’s José Joaquín de Olmedo airport.

The scene included an SUV registered to Suástegui’s son that was completely incinerated, five burned motorcycles, and ten shell casings. Two victims were found with their hands bound by wire. Investigators also noted gang‑related graffiti linked to Los Lobos on the walls, suggesting a possible rivalry between the groups. The seventh body remains unidentified due to the advanced state of carbonisation. The investigation continues under the direction of the National Police’s specialized units.