Military commanders were seen raiding and rounding up gang members in an Ecuador prison searching for weapons and drugs amid a spate of gang war violence and murders within the compound.
Armed soldiers stormed the Manabi N4 Detention Centre, also known as El Rodeo Prison, in Portoviejo, Manabi, on June 5.
Images from within the prison captured inmates on their knees, with their hands linked behind their neck - naked torsos and tattoos on full display.
Other can be seen donning orange jumpsuits and sitting in rows on the ground as dozens of armed army officials stand guard with their firearms in hand.
Masked and helmeted soldiers worked their way through the cells and were pictured on the ground besides an inmate's bunk bed as they used torches to search beneath the furniture.
Armed soldiers stormed Ecuadorian prison, El Rodeo, on June 5 as they hunted for drugs and weapons within the compound
Inmates were pictured sitting on the ground with their hands behind their heads as military officials searched the prison
Some inmates were seen topless as they waited for officials to finish their task
Soldiers entered El Rodeo prison to conduct a search amid a spiral of murders, in Portoviejo, Ecuador
Officials were seen in cells as they used torches to search under inmates' bunk beds
'We are sure that there are many weapons that we have not yet found in the prisons because they are underground caches,' Defense Minister Gian Carlo Loffredo said Wednesday on FM Mundo radio.
He also added that in 12 of the country's 36 prisons, there is now a permeant military presence while in the others, the interventions last up to one week.
According to a local report from Primicias, the soldiers slammed tools against the walls in an attempt to detect any hollow sounds that would allow them to identify the inmates' coves.
They also allegedly used pickaxes to tear down the walls while they searched through pipes and toilets for any signs of drugs or weapons.
Since June 4, the police and Armed Forces installed their command centres in Manabi to tackle organised crime and gang warfare which has in recent years largely played out in Ecuador's prisons.
In Manabi's streets, soldiers were seen patrolling the area in a convoy with heavy artillery and even tanks after departing from the Eloy Alfaro air base.
The first military operation was carried out in the La Pradera neighbourhood, after five people were murdered and another seven were left injured after an armed attack on May 20.
Military commanders are now set to begin the fight against 'narco-terrorist gangs', namely Los Choneros and Los Lobos, who are currently in a war over drug trafficking.
The December 2020 murder of Jorge Luis Zambrano Gonzalez, leader of the violent Los Choneros gang, led to a violent power struggle in Ecuador which came to a head in February 2021 when several sub-groups including Los Tiguerones joined to attack the original gang in three jails.
The inmates were lined up in groups while armed soldiers stood guard beside them
Soldiers were seen located both on the roof of the prison, and on the ground
Army officials stormed El Rodeo with a tank as dozens of uniformed officers followed on behind on foot
According to a local report from Primicias , the soldiers slammed tools against the walls in an attempt to detect any hollow sounds that would allow them to identify the inmates' coves
Ecuadorian military personnel seen stationed on the roof as they overlook the inmates
Some 500 officers from the National Police's preventive, investigative, and intelligence units have also been deployed in a bid to control the violence
The prison massacres, among the bloodiest ever in Latin America, resulted in 79 inmates dying and dozens of others suffering serious injuries.
Upon the forces' arrival on June 4, CesarZapata, commander of the National Police, said that they are going to work in conflict points within the city, while reinforcing actions in Portoviejo, Guayaquil, and Los Rios.
Some 500 officers from the National Police's preventive, investigative, and intelligence units have also been deployed in a bid to control the violence.
The bloody battles in Ecuadorian prisons have left hundreds of inmates dead since 2021, with their bodies often found dismembered, decapitated, or incinerated.
At least 460 inmates have died in bloody massacres, usually the result of clashes between rival drug-related gangs with links to Mexican and Colombian cartels as they vie for control.
This violence has also spilled onto Ecuador's streets, with the country last year reporting 47 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants, compared to the six in 100,000 in 2018.
'We are facing a very dangerous enemy, very prepared, well equipped and with a lot of economic power,' said Loffredo.
In Manabi's streets, soldiers were seen patrolling the area in a convoy with heavy artillery
The soldiers were even seen with tanks after departing from the Eloy Alfaro air base
An Ecuadorean Navy marine frisks a man on a checkpoint in Manta, Ecuador June 4, 2024
Ecuadorean Navy marines patrol the streets from an armored tank in Manta
Prisonviolence has also spilled onto Ecuador's streets, with the country last year reporting 47 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants, compared to the six in 100,000 in 2018
Ecuadorian MP Cristhian Nieto, 34, and his partner Nicole Burgos were murdered in cold blood in a savage attack on Sunday night in Manta
The country, ravaged by crime and violence, saw just three days ago Ecuadorian MP Cristhian Nieto, 34, and his partner Nicole Burgos, gunned down by hitmen while they queued alongside children to get into a circus.
A third person was also killed and a journalist injured in the surprise attack in the port city of Manta on Sunday night.
The murdered politician was interviewed moments before the attack happened as he ushered children towards their seats inside the circus, and said of the event: 'This has been a total success. Packed out for three days running.'
Ecuador's National Assembly, the equivalent of the House of Commons, said in a statement overnight: 'We deeply regret the murder of Parliamentarian Cristhian Nieto and his wife Nicole Burgos in the city of Manta.
'We would like to send a message of solidarity to their families and friends.
'We feel deep grief over what's happened and hope they can find consolation following this irreparable loss.'
Last month Ecuador's president Daniel Noboa declared a new state of emergency for five of the country's 24 provinces as he continued a fightback against violent gangs which make their money from criminal activities including drug trafficking, extortion and kidnappings and have promised revenge.
