Five severed human heads were discovered hanging from ropes on a beach in Ecuador, according to police.
According to multiple reports, local authorities said the gruesome scene appeared to be linked to ongoing drug-related violence gripping the country.
Ecuadorian media outlets showed the heads suspended from wooden poles placed directly on the beach, CBS News reported.
A wooden sign that was positioned next to the remains contained a written message.
According to The Associated Press, the message was directed at individuals accused of extorting local fishermen.
Officers attributed the incident to a conflict between rival criminal groups operating in the region.
WARNING: The following post contains images that, while digitally blurred out, some viewers still might find disturbing.
Human heads hung up on display at popular tourist beach in Ecuador — as a gruesome warning https://t.co/sKaMR4bQw4 pic.twitter.com/rsOcSN8lx0
— New York Post (@nypost) January 12, 2026
The discovery was made in Puerto Lopez, a small fishing port along Ecuador’s Pacific coast.
Drug-trafficking networks with links to international cartels are active in the area, according to reports.
Police said those groups often exploit fishermen and their small boats to move illegal drugs.
CBS News reported the sign included a direct threat toward gang members who demand protection payments known locally as “vaccine cards.”
“The town belongs to us. Keep robbing fishermen and demanding vaccine cards, we already have you identified,” the sign read, according to CBS News.
The BBC reported that police have identified the remains as belonging to five men who were reported missing days earlier.
Authorities said the men ranged in age from 20 to 34.
Officials also told local media outlets that one of the victims had a prior criminal record for illegal gun possession.
The rest of the bodies have not yet been located, police said.
Puerto Lopez is located in an area of Ecuador that has seen repeated outbreaks of violence.
A dispute over territory and control of drug-trafficking routes has fueled deadly clashes throughout the region.
Police said control and surveillance operations were increased in the vicinity of the gruesome discovery over the weekend.
According to the AP, two massacres in as many weeks left 12 people dead, including a child.
Ecuador ended 2025 as its most violent year on record, with more than 9,000 homicides.
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