Five human heads discovered hanging at vacationer hotspot seaside close to terrifying warning
The severed heads were found hanging from ropes fixed to two wooden poles on a popular beach in Puerto Lopez, Ecuador, on Sunday, in what police say was a warning sign from a criminal group
Near the horrific scene of the crime a eerie message was left (Image: x)
Holidaymakers visiting a scenic beach were met with a horrific scenes as they found five hanging human heads – in what authorities believe was a chilling message from a criminal gang.
The horror discovery was made on the popular beach in Puerto Lopez, Ecuador, on Sunday, according to local law enforcement. The heads were suspended from ropes tied to two wooden posts, symbolising the surge of drug-related violence engulfing the nation, as per images circulated by Ecuadorian media outlets.
Near the grisly scene of the crime was a written threat aimed at alleged rivals contemplating extorting local fishermen at the nearby port of Puerto Lopez. These boats are exploited by international cartels operating in the region, using fishermen for unlawful activities, say officials.
A territorial dispute over control of drug trafficking routes has sparked violent clashes. Police have been conducting surveillance and control operations in Puerto Lopez amidst an ongoing state of emergency – enforced in nine out of the country’s 24 provinces.
Manabi, where Puerto Lopez is situated, is one of these provinces. Police presence in Puerto Lopez has intensified following a massacre that claimed six lives two weeks ago, reports the Mirror. A mere three days later, another armed assault in the same province resulted in an additional six fatalities.
Measures are proving inadequate in tackling the escalating bloodshed across the region, with 9,000 killings recorded in Ecuador during 2025, based on official data. Last October, armed attackers sprayed bullets at a pool hall in Santo Domingo, claiming five lives. Authorities branded the shooting as gang warfare. A separate pool hall assault claimed seven lives and left four injured just one month prior.
Additionally, Mario Pineida, 33, a former Ecuador international footballer, was gunned down in December during an armed assault in the nation’s biggest city, Guayaquil. The nation has evolved into a major drug trafficking and storage centre over the past four years, primarily via its frontiers with Colombia and Peru.
The UK’s Foreign Office warns against all non-essential journeys to Manabi and six additional coastal provinces, plus most zones within 20km of the Ecuador-Colombia frontier. A 60-day emergency declaration was extended for Ecuador on December 31, which the Foreign Office states is “due to internal disturbance and armed violence”.
The emergency measures cover Guayas, El Oro, Manabi, Los Rios, Santa Elena, Pichincha, Santo Domingo, Esmeraldas, Sucumbios, Bolivar (cantones Echeandia and Las Naves) and Cotopaxi (Canon La Maná).
The Foreign Office has warned: “you could be a victim of violence due to mistaken identity or be caught up in a security incident involving others”.
In other regions, the Foreign Office cautions travellers on “express kidnapping”, a scenario where victims are abducted for brief periods and typically forced to withdraw cash from ATMs before being left stranded. For those journeying within 20km of the Ecuador-Colombia border, the Foreign Office alerts the “security situation can change quickly”.
Travellers are advised to remain vigilant, heed local guidance, travel during daylight hours with an accredited guide, and have emergency plans and communication systems at hand.
