Criminal leader shot dead by hired killers upon arrival in Ecuador at Guayaquil airport
An alleged head of a criminal organisation was shot and killed at José Joaquín de Olmedo International Airport in Guayaquil, apparently by teenagers hired by a rival group.
Criminal leader shot dead by hired killers upon arrival in Ecuador at Guayaquil airport
An alleged leader of a criminal faction was shot and killed on Wednesday, 17 June outside José Joaquín de Olmedo International Airport in Guayaquil, Ecuador's main air terminal. The crime, apparently carried out by teenagers, occurred just one day after the government declared a new state of exception in ten provinces.
The victim was identified as Carlos Alberto Suástegui Villanueva, regarded by authorities as head of the Los Águilas gang, a structure linked to Los Choneros, the country's oldest criminal organisation. The deceased had four criminal records and had been detained on two previous occasions, according to confirmation from Interior Minister John Reimberg.
The attack took place around 18:00 local time in the international arrivals area. Two 15-year-old youths, disguised as people waiting for a relative, were carrying a Sonic character plush toy and a bouquet of flowers to conceal their firearms. They approached Suástegui and shot him at point-blank range.
Security cameras at the terminal captured the moment of the crime: one of the attackers fired first and, when the victim fell to the ground, the second approached to finish him off. Both attempted to flee but were apprehended minutes later by airport security personnel in the car park area.
Minister Reimberg indicated that the killing was in response to a dispute between rival criminal organisations. The two adolescents were allegedly sent by a group hostile to Suástegui to carry out the attack. On Thursday, a juvenile court judge ordered both youths transferred to a specialist detention centre.
The homicide left at least two other people injured. Following the attack, the air terminal remained closed for two hours, with no passengers permitted to enter or leave, until authorities confirmed the arrest of the hired killers and ruled out additional risks.
The case once again highlights the growing use of minors by Ecuadorian criminal gangs to commit acts of extreme violence, as well as the vulnerability of public spaces considered secure.
Source: Infobae
Source: Google News EC — Crime