Nueva Prosperina registers 54.4% fewer violent deaths in 2026: operations and fall of gang leaders
The north-western district of Guayaquil fell from 474 to 216 violent deaths between January and August, according to police data. The Police attribute the decline to operations, arrests and prison control.
Violent deaths halved in Nueva Prosperina after two years of police operations
The district of Nueva Prosperina, in the north-west of Guayaquil, recorded 216 violent deaths between January and August 2026, compared with 474 in the same period of 2025, representing a reduction of 54.4 per cent, according to eluniverso.com. With 258 fewer cases, the jurisdiction ranks among those with the largest decline in Zone 8, which also comprises Durán and Samborondón.
In 2023, Nueva Prosperina was the most violent district in Zone 8 and in the country. The police chief of the sector, Diego Santana, stated that this position no longer stands: it currently records fewer deaths than the Sur, Portete and Durán districts, which remain focal points of high conflict.
3D operations, arrests and prison control
Santana attributed the decline to three factors: strategic operations called 3D, the capture of leaders of criminal groups, and the strengthening of control within detention centres. According to his explanation, prison measures have prevented detained leaders from continuing to direct their structures from prison.
Among the most significant arrests is that of alias Willy, identified as leader of Los Tiguerones, an organisation that exercised majority control of the district. His fall fragmented the structure into smaller factions, including Los Igualitos and Los Fatales. Subsequent operations led to the detention of further leaders, leaving smaller groups in place.
"It is work that has been going on for at least two years, during which these criminal group factions have been weakened. To date, we have managed to contain and dismantle these organisations. We also work on the judicialisation of detained persons, a process that requires coordination with the Judicial Function," Santana stated.
Extortion, persistent priority
Despite the weakening of several structures, the Police maintain as priority the fight against extortion, a crime on which it has focused efforts for two years. Drug trafficking also represents a latent threat in the district, although Santana noted that it does not have the same persistence as extortions.
Police investigations identified, among other cases, that of a container company that would pay 5,000 dollars monthly for extortion, an amount that would be distributed between two organisations. In the Socio Vivienda sector, officers determined that residents would pay 3 dollars per house to Los Fatales and Los Igualitos. "What is working for them is the racket, the extortion," the police source noted.
The dispute between Los Fatales and Los Fénix would not be centred on territorial control, but rather on the dominance of these illegal economies.
Criminal map: three factions and six circuits
The Nueva Prosperina district comprises six circuits: Monte Sinaí, Nuevo Guayaquil, Nueva Prosperina, Fortín, Paraíso de la Flor and Flor de Bastión. According to the police map, the territory is divided among three organisations: Los Pascualitos, Los Fatales and Los Igualitos.
Los Pascualitos operate in the western extreme, in Monte Sinaí. Santana described them as a small group, composed mainly of young people aged between 16 and 17 years old, with attempts to expand their area of influence. The faction emerged after the capture of alias Pascuales.
Los Fatales control the central and most extensive strip of the district, which encompasses Flor de Bastión, Paraíso de la Flor, Nuevo Guayaquil and the Nueva Prosperina circuit, with presence concentrated in El Fortín.
Los Igualitos are located towards the east, in an area close to the Entrada de la 8. The Perimetral avenue functions as a dividing line: on the left Los Fatales predominate; on the right, Los Igualitos.
Los Fénix do not appear in this distribution as a faction seeking to expand territorial domain; their conflict with Los Fatales revolves around the control of extortion.
Curfew and weapons seizure
Santana highlighted that the curfew has contributed to reducing robberies and violent deaths, since mobility restrictions facilitate operations and force some leaders to temporarily move to other provinces or cantons where the measure is not in effect. The Police have also seized weapons, including rifles, as part of actions aimed at weakening the operational capacity of criminal structures.
The official also noted that the lack of opportunities affects the emergence of new factions and the recruitment of adolescents. "These are very neglected neighbourhoods, where children and adolescents find no opportunities or role models to inspire them to build a different future. Instead, they have nearby young people who display money, dress fashionably and show the results of robberies or drug sales," Santana stated.
Source: Google News EC — Guayaquil