Five decapitated heads were strung up and put on display at a popular tourist beach in Ecuador on Sunday — in what appeared to be a gruesome warning to gangs.
The heads were suspended between two wooden poles and tied to a length of green rope on a beach in the Pacific resort of Puerto Lopez, the Ecuadorian outlet Primicias reported.
A sign was found alongside the decapitated heads with a warning to gangs about extorting local fishermen, the outlet reported.
“The town belongs to us. Keep going out to rob the fishermen. And keep asking for vaccine cards, because we already have them all,” the sign reads in part.
Their decapitated bodies are yet to be found, but police were able to identify the five men.
Only one of the five, 24-year-old Bernardo Ramon Medranda Mendoza, had a criminal record.
Mendoza had a record for possession and carrying firearms.
No arrests have been made in connection to the discovery.
Puerto Lopez is currently experiencing a wave of extreme violence tied to international drug cartels.
On Dec. 28, a violent shooting in front of the beach left six dead, including a baby, and three wounded.
Ecuador is a key hub in the global cocaine trade, located between Peru and Colombia, which produce much of the world’s supply.
The country’s young, conservative president, Daniel Noboa, 38, launched an armed campaign against drug gangs two years ago.
Despite that, in 2025 Ecuador experienced a record homicide rate of 52 per 100,000 inhabitants, according to the Organized Crime Observatory.
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