Confronting Gang Members at the Heart of Ecuador's Drug Battle

Sun Sep 06 2026 02:29:15 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Ecuador struggles with a surge in drug crime, seeing links to Colombian, Peruvian, Mexican and Albanian criminal groups.

BBC correspondent Orla Guerin follows Ecuadorian police across crime‑ridden streets to showcase the swelling drug crisis. Drugs flow from Colombia and Peru, feed into powerful local gangs tied to Mexican cartels and Albanian mafias. The country’s murder rate reached a peak last year with over 9,200 killings. Customs at the border have been overwhelmed, and local law‑enforcement faces a growing war on crime. The report underlines the urgent need for coordinated anti‑drug strategies in the region.

Confronting Gang Members at the Heart of Ecuador's Drug Battle

BBC documentary team lead by analyst Orla Guerin ventures into Ecuador's streets to monitor a surge in drug‑related violence. Hunters move alongside police on patrols that stomach growing criminal activity while matching up with crime‑loving gangs.

Ecuador imports vast amounts of narcotics from Colombia and Peru – the world's biggest producing nations. From these sources local gangs and crew with links to Mexican cartels and Albanian mafia groups move cocaine across the ERI transit paths and mainly to multilateral markets.

Last year Ecuador's murder statistics showed a high level of 9,200 deaths, one of the leading numbers worldwide. The surge in drug crime is suggested to be a contributing factor for the high murder rate. Police departments across Ecuador struggle to adapt as criminal activity continues.

The documentary marks a push to reform Ecuador's approach to the drug trade, with new licenses to prevent widespread illicit commerce border stops.