Guayaquil, Ecuador— An assassination attempt on a local magistrate ended in a drive-by shooting at 7:40 a.m. on October 30, 2026 on Avenida de las Américas in Guayaquil, leaving his bodyguard injured and his armored SUV riddled with bullets.
The magistrate, Judge Carlos Intriago, who handles organized crime and drug trafficking cases in Guayas province, was traveling to the judicial complex with a two-vehicle escort. Two motorcycles pulled alongside at a red light and opened fire with pistols. The driver accelerated and rammed a motorcycle, allowing the convoy to escape.
Intriago was unharmed. His bodyguard, a police sergeant, was hit in the shoulder and leg. A civilian driver in the next lane was grazed. El Universo reported at least 18 shell casings were recovered at the intersection, mostly 9mm.
“This was a direct attack against justice,” said Guayas prosecutor María José Torres at a press conference outside the courthouse. “Judge Intriago has received threats for months linked to cases involving the Los Choneros organization.”
Ecuador’s judiciary has become a target as gangs seek to intimidate courts. Four judges have been attacked this year, one fatally. Intriago had recently ordered pretrial detention for 12 suspects in a port cocaine seizure and had denied habeas corpus petitions for gang leaders held in La Roca prison.
Police said the motorcycles had cloned plates. CCTV showed the gunmen wearing helmets with dark visors, making identification difficult. Investigators are tracing the weapons and reviewing phone threats made to the judge’s office last week.
The Judiciary Council suspended hearings in Guayas for the day and ordered protection reviews for all criminal judges. The National Police deployed additional armored vehicles and route escorts.
“We have strong lines of inquiry pointing to organized crime retaliation,” said Police Commander Fausto Buenaño. “We have detained two persons for questioning who were seen following the convoy earlier this week.”
Tonight Intriago is under heavy protection at an undisclosed location. His bodyguard is stable after surgery at Hospital Naval. The motorcycles have not been found. The investigation is active.
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