Two fiscal secretaries killed in armed attack near Manta prosecutor's office

On 23 May 2024, Victor Fernando Pico Párraga, a 40‑year‑old secretary to a fiscal specializing in crimes against life and organized crime, died in a Manta hospital after being shot in the head during an armed attack near the city’s prosecutor’s office. The same attack instantly killed his colleague César Enrique Velázquez Párraga. Police reports say the two were travelling in a white vehicle that was intercepted at the J10‑J1 intersection in the Jocay neighbourhood; gunmen opened fire, and a motorcycle later found ablaze is believed to have been used to flee and destroy evidence. Criminalistics units and the National Police collected forensic evidence and reviewed security‑camera footage. The incident, occurring in the province of Manabí’s most violent district, follows previous attacks on judicial officials and has heightened concerns about organized‑crime‑related violence in Manta.