Ecuador’s War Against Drug‑Linked Gangs

Sun Sep 06 2026 06:26:44 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Police patrol the streets of Quito to confront gangs that fuel the country’s rising drug violence and murder rate.

Ecuador’s police, joined by BBC correspondent Orla Guerin, head to the city’s hotspots as the country grapples with a surge in drug crime. Cocaine pours in from Colombia and Peru, then is smuggled by local gangs tied to Mexican cartels and the Albanian mafia. The violence has claimed more than 9,200 lives last year, one of the highest murder rates in the world. Authorities seek to curb the gangs’ influence and restore safety in the capital’s streets.

Ecuador’s War Against Drug‑Linked Gangs

In the heart of Quito, BBC journalist Orla Guerin teams up with local police to confront the gangs that drive the country’s grim rise in drug‑related crime.

Cocaine flows steadily into Ecuador from neighboring Colombia and Peru – nations that rank among the world’s biggest producers. Once in Ecuador, the drug is handled by home‑grown gangs that boast links to Mexican cartels and the Albanian mafia, pushing the cocaine to international markets.

The violence has reached alarming levels: last year the interior ministry reported over 9,200 homicides, placing Ecuador among the world’s worst murder‑rate countries. Police raids and community patrols aim to dismantle the gangs’ networks, reduce drug trafficking routes, and restore calm to the nation’s streets.

For viewers on the ground, the scene is stark – policemen in bright vests run the streets with guns at the ready as they try to keep the violence at bay. The situation remains tense, but the effort to confront the gangs marks a critical step in Ecuador’s fight against drug crime.