Ecuador prosecutor Gloria Bravo killed in Manta attack, third in same city; sister also dies
Gloria Bravo, a prosecutor investigating organized crime and a recent arson that destroyed 35 boats, was killed Sunday in Manta, western Ecuador. Her sister was also fatally shot in the attack, the attorney general's office said.
The attack
On Sunday, prosecutor Gloria Bravo was killed in a criminal attack in Manta, a port city in western Ecuador. Her sister, who was accompanying her, also died in the assault. The State Attorney General's Office confirmed the incident and issued a strong condemnation.
The State Attorney General's Office rejects and vigorously condemns the criminal attack perpetrated today against the magistrate (...), who unfortunately lost her life.
A prosecutor targeted for organized crime probes
Bravo had been a prosecutor for 15 years, focusing on organized crime cases in the region. She was actively investigating a recent fire that destroyed approximately 35 boats at a Manta fishing port, the cause of which remains under investigation. Her killing marks the third murder of a prosecutor in Manta, a known bastion of the Los Choneros criminal group.
Manta, epicenter of narco-trafficking
Manta is among Ecuador's most violence-torn cities, serving as a key transit hub for cocaine. Data indicates that 70% of the cocaine produced in neighboring Colombia and Peru passes through Ecuadoran territory. The Los Choneros gang, whose leader — known as Fito — was arrested and extradited to the United States last year, dominates the area. Despite US cooperation and the right-wing government's hardline policies under President Daniel Noboa, violence remains entrenched. In 2025, Ecuador's homicide rate stood at 50.9 per 100,000 inhabitants, placing it among the most dangerous countries in Latin America.
