El Oro province reports multiple human head discoveries

A series of gruesome discoveries has heightened social alarm in the El Oro province of Ecuador. In a span of less than 48 hours, multiple human heads were found in different locations within the Machala canton and surrounding areas.

Specific findings include a head discovered in a plastic bag at a supermarket in Puerto Bolívar, another at the Y de Tillales in El Guabo, and a third in the El Cambio parish. Additionally, human remains wrapped in a blanket were found in a plastic container in front of a commercial establishment in Puerto Bolívar.

Authorities are investigating whether these incidents are linked to specific criminal aliases or if the remains belong to two 20-year-old individuals, Alejandro Rigoberto Echeverría Noblecilla and Samantha Michel Buele Ordóñez, who were reported missing on August 31.

Reports indicate that at least 62 human heads have been recovered in the El Oro province so far in 2026. The National Police and the Prosecutor's Office are working to identify the victims and determine if these findings are part of a coordinated criminal campaign.