Ecuadorian authorities seize weapons and explosives in Milagro and Guayaquil

Security forces in Ecuador have conducted two significant operations targeting illegal arms and explosives in the Guayas province.

In Milagro, the State Attorney General's Office charged three individuals—Edder Rafael S. C., Hernán Geovanny C. C., and Jorge Luis Ch. T.—with illicit trafficking of firearms and ammunition. The arrests occurred at a hacienda in the Mariscal Sucre sector following an alert via the ECU 9-1-1 system. During the operation, authorities discovered four firearms, including two pistols, a revolver, and a rifle, along with numerous magazines and over one hundred rounds of 9 mm and .223 caliber ammunition hidden in a ceiling.

In Guayaquil, police discovered a sophisticated underground bunker hidden within the basement of an abandoned two-story house in the Samanes 6 district. The bunker utilized a hydraulic system integrated into a cistern area to conceal its existence. Following a two-month investigation, specialized agents seized a rifle, a shotgun, and 697 cartridges. The cache also included high-power explosives, specifically 13 Claymore anti-personnel mines and 10 C4 explosive charges with their respective initiation and activation systems.