Ecuador Judge Killed Amid Drug War As U.S. Joins Anti-Gang Raids
Judge Lady Pachar was shot dead Monday, May 11, 2026, while driving to a gym in Machala, Ecuador, without her bodyguards.[1]
A police source said Pachar had received threats and that attackers killed her in retaliation after she released gang members.[1] Ecuador's Judicial Council condemned the slaying as a "serious attack against justice and the rule of law in Ecuador." CBS News
Since 2022, at least 16 judges or prosecutors have been killed in Ecuador, Human Rights Watch says. U.S. commandos joined Ecuadorian forces in Operation Lanza Marina, an advisory mission targeting a coastal hub tied to the Los Choneros trafficking group. U.S.-Ecuador joint operations began in early March 2026 against groups designated as terrorist organizations.
About 70% of cocaine produced in Colombia and Peru is shipped through Ecuador, and the country recorded 9,216 violent deaths in 2025, underscoring the lethal reach of organized crime.
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📌 Key Facts
- Judge Lady Pachar was shot dead on Monday, May 11, 2026, while driving to a gym in Machala, Ecuador, without her bodyguards.
- A police source said Pachar had received threats and was killed in retaliation for releasing gang members.
- Ecuador's Judicial Council condemned the killing as a 'serious attack against justice and the rule of law in Ecuador.'
- Since 2022, at least 16 judges or prosecutors have been killed in Ecuador, according to Human Rights Watch.
- U.S. commandos recently joined Ecuadorian forces in Operation Lanza Marina, an advisory mission against a coastal hub linked to the Los Choneros trafficking group.
- The U.S.-Ecuador joint operations began in early March 2026 against 'designated terrorist organizations' operating in the country.
- About 70% of cocaine produced in Colombia and Peru is shipped through Ecuador, and the country recorded 9,216 violent deaths in 2025.
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