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World April 1, 2026 11:42 AM

Ecuador Reports 28% Drop in March Homicides After Nightly Curfew and Military Operations

Government credits two-week, nightly curfew in four provinces and intensified security actions for the decline amid a year of elevated violent deaths

By Marcus Reed
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Ecuadorian authorities reported a 28% nationwide reduction in intentional homicides in March, a comparison of March 2025 with March 2026, attributing the improvement to coordinated military operations and a two-week nightly curfew in four provinces identified as key drug trafficking corridors. Officials said thousands were arrested and that the actions targeted multiple criminal groups, with U.S. support noted for the operations.

Ecuador Reports 28% Drop in March Homicides After Nightly Curfew and Military Operations
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Key Points

  • Intentional homicides fell 28% in March, comparing March 2025 with March 2026, according to the interior minister.
  • About 4,300 arrests were made during the security operations, which included the capture of a ringleader and targeted four criminal groups, including Los Lobos.
  • The two-week nightly curfew covered four provinces identified by authorities as key drug trafficking corridors; the operations received support from the United States.

Quito, April 1 - Ecuador's government announced on Wednesday that intentional homicides dropped 28% nationwide in March, a decline officials linked to security operations conducted during a two-week nightly curfew in four provinces.

President Daniel Noboa imposed the curfew in Guayas, Los Rios, El Oro and Santo Domingo - provinces authorities have described as key drug trafficking corridors - and deployed intensified security force operations in those areas.

Interior Minister John Reimberg said the 28% reduction reflects a year-on-year comparison of March 2025 with March 2026. Reimberg added that the operations against crime led to about 4,300 arrests, including the detention of a ringleader.

Defense Minister Gian Carlo Loffredo framed the response as a demonstration of state authority, saying: "Control is not negotiated, it is exercised. And we will not stop. Ecuador is regaining control."

Government statements said the anti-crime actions, which received support from the United States, focused on four criminal groups. Among those cited was Los Lobos, a gang that Washington designated as a terrorist organization last year.

The announcement arrives against the backdrop of a high level of violent deaths in Ecuador during 2025. Official data showed around 9,200 violent deaths that year - a 31% increase over the prior year.

Operational details and scope

Authorities emphasized the geographical focus of the measures, concentrating security operations in provinces the government identifies as trafficking corridors. The curfew was nightly and limited in duration to two weeks, with intensified military and policing activity reported in the designated provinces.

Results reported by officials

  • Intentional homicides declined by 28% in March when compared with March of the previous year, according to the interior minister.
  • Approximately 4,300 people were arrested as part of the operations, including a ringleader.
  • Operations targeted four criminal groups, including one previously labeled a terrorist organization by the United States.

Officials portrayed the actions as part of a continued effort to reassert state control over areas affected by organized crime. The government attribution of the homicide decline places emphasis on the concentrated security measures implemented during the curfew period.

Risks

  • Uncertainty whether the reported homicide reduction will persist beyond the two-week curfew and the reported operational period - this affects assessments of long-term public security improvements.
  • High baseline of violence in 2025, with around 9,200 violent deaths (a 31% increase over the prior year), indicates entrenched security challenges that the recent operations must address over time.
  • Concentrated operations in specific provinces may shift criminal activity geographically or change operational patterns of criminal groups, creating short-term disruptions in affected local economies and transport flows.

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