Armed gunmen stormed a pool hall in General Villamil Playas, Ecuador, on Saturday, July 19, 2025, killing at least nine people who were playing billiards in what authorities describe as one of the deadliest attacks in the coastal tourist city.
The shooting occurred at a bar in a working-class neighborhood of the southwestern coastal city in Guayas province. According to the Ecuadorian prosecutor’s office, “armed individuals entered the establishment and shot at those present.” The attackers were reportedly equipped with automatic rifles and opened fire on patrons gathered around several pool tables.
Viral images circulated on social media platforms showed nine bloodied bodies lying on the floor around the billiard tables. A reporter who visited the scene observed two coffins being held by relatives inside the bar, along with visible bullet holes in the pool tables themselves.
Police Colonel Jhanon Varela reported that two additional people were injured in the attack and received treatment at a local hospital. However, authorities have only been able to identify one body at the scene due to the chaotic aftermath of the shooting.
Varela explained that when police arrived, many victims had already been removed from the scene by residents and family members, leading officials to believe there may be additional casualties. He indicated that it is presumed there could be more victims beyond those initially counted.
Among the confirmed victims was a coach at a provincial soccer school, according to Guayas Prefect Marcela Aguinaga. In response to the violence, Aguinaga stated that violence seeks to bring communities to their knees and silence them, but emphasized that officials will not stay silent or surrender to such acts.
The massacre occurs during what experts describe as Ecuador’s most violent start to a year in recent history. Official figures show that Ecuador recorded 4,051 homicides in just the first five months of 2025, reflecting the country’s dramatic transformation from a once-peaceful Latin American nation into a battleground for drug trafficking organizations.
Ecuador’s homicide rate has increased dramatically over recent years, rising from six per 100,000 residents in 2018 to 38 per 100,000 in 2024. This surge in violence coincides with the expansion of transnational cartels that utilize Ecuador’s ports to ship drugs to the United States and Europe.
The shooting follows the June recapture of Ecuador’s most notorious drug lord, Adolfo Macias, known by his alias Fito, after his escape from a maximum-security prison in 2024. Despite his recapture and subsequent extradition to the United States, where he pleaded not guilty to a seven-count indictment including international cocaine distribution and weapons charges, criminal gang violence continues throughout the country.
This week alone, at least 20 people were killed in deadly violence across several cities in Manabi province, the stronghold of Fito and his gang, Los Choneros, including in Manta, where Fito was recaptured. The United States classified Los Choneros as one of the most violent gangs last year and confirmed its connections to powerful Mexican drug cartels that threaten Ecuador and the surrounding region.
In response to escalating violence, Interior Minister John Reimberg announced increased security measures in Manta, one of Ecuador’s main fishing ports, deploying 2,500 police officers at strategic points throughout the city on Saturday afternoon.
The violence extends beyond Los Choneros, with other major criminal organizations operating throughout the country. Earlier this year, authorities arrested Carlos D, known as El Chino, the second-in-command of Los Lobos, another major crime syndicate. The United States declared Los Lobos to be the largest drug trafficking organization in Ecuador last year.
The police station in the General Villamil Playas area was placed under guard by special forces following the attack, according to local reports. The coastal city, which serves as a destination for domestic tourists, now joins the growing list of locations affected by Ecuador’s escalating gang warfare.
