Hooded gunmen burst onto live TV set in Ecuador after drug lord escape triggers state of emergency
Hooded gunmen have burst onto a live TV set in Ecuador – a day after the country’s president declared a state of emergency following the escape of one of the country’s most-notorious drug gang bosses from prison.
Live television images broadcast on Tuesday showed hooded people – some waving guns – inside Ecuador’s TC Television station in Guayaquil.
They were seen telling staff to lie down on the floor and shouted that they had “bombs”, while shouting and noises similar to gunshots could be heard in the background.
Live television images broadcast showed the gunmen inside Ecuador’s TC television station in Guayaquil.. Pic: TC
Some of the group gestured at the camera and someone could be heard yelling “no police”, before the broadcast feed was eventually cut.
The national police said on social media its specialised units had been deployed to the television station, before publishing footage of armed officers surrounding the building.
Police respond to the attack. Pic:AP /Cesar Munoz
Pic: AP/Cesar Munoz
Ecuador’s attorney general’s office later said 13 people arrested for breaking into the studio will be charged with terrorism offences.
The charge holds a penalty of up to 13 years in prison under Ecuadorian law, if convicted.
National police commander Cesar Zapata told the TV channel Teleamazonas that all of those involved had been arrested and officers had seized a number of guns and explosives.
Police arrested several people at the scene. Pic: Ecuador National Police via Reuters
Pic: Ecuador National Police via Reuters
Alina Manrique, the head of news for TC Television, said she was in the control room across from the studio when the masked men entered the building.
One of the men pointed a gun at her head and told her to get on the floor, she said.
“I am still in shock,” Ms Manrique told the Associated Press (AP).
“Everything has collapsed. All I know is that it’s time to leave this country, and go very far away.”
The astonishing incident comes a day after Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa declared a 60-day state of emergency after one of the country’s most-notorious drug gang bosses escaped from prison.
At least seven police officers have also been kidnapped, and there have been a series of explosions reported across the South American country.
Peru’s interior minister ordered the “immediate” deployment of a police border with Ecuador on Tuesday, in a bid to boost security.
Soldiers patrol the perimeter of Inca prison during a state of emergency in Quito, Ecuador. Pic: AP
Soldiers atop an armoured vehicle after Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa declared a state of emergency. Pic: Reuters
Members of military stand guard near the Presidential Palace in Quito, Ecuador. Pic: Reuters
Mr Noboa, the son of one of Ecuador’s richest men, took office in November promising to stem a wave of drug-related violence on the streets and in prisons.
The drug lord, Adolfo Macias – also known as Fito – was first reported missing from his cell on Sunday.
The leader of the Los Choneros gang was serving a 34-year sentence in La Regional prison for drug trafficking and murder.
His reported escape occurred on the same day he was scheduled to be transferred to a maximum security facility in the city of Guayaquil.
The leader of the powerful Los Choneros gang, Jose Adolfo Macias, alias ‘Fito’ Pic: Ecuadorean Armed Forces
Ecuador‘s prosecutors have filed charges against two prison guards as part of their investigation into the alleged escape.
Los Choneros is one of the gangs authorities consider responsible for a spike in violence that reached new heights last year with the assassination of the presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio.
The gang has links with Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel, according to authorities.
Read more world news from Sky News:
Peregrine Mission-1 spacecraft has ‘no chance’ of landing on moon
International rugby star jailed for sexual offences
Mr Villavicencio had claimed Los Choneros threatened him, but authorities have been unable to formally accuse Macias or his group of being behind the murder.
The state of emergency announced by Mr Noboa allows for the use of military patrols, on the streets and in prisons, and the setting of a national nighttime curfew.
It was updated on Tuesday, recognising an “internal armed conflict”, identifying several criminal gangs as terrorist groups, including Los Choneros, and ordering the armed forces to neutralise them.
Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy has met Israel’s prime minister in an effort to secure a ceasefire deal in Gaza before the president-elect takes office on 20 January.
Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed details of the meeting with Steve Witkoff on Saturday, adding that the head of the Israeli Mossad intelligence agency has been deployed to Qatar in order to “advance” talks.
It was not immediately clear when David Barnea would travel to Doha for the latest round of indirect discussions between Israel and Hamas.
Earlier on Saturday, an Israeli official said some progress had been made, mediated by Egypt, Qatar and the United States, to reach a deal in Gaza.
Ronen Bar (left), director of Israel’s security agency, and David Barnea (right), head of Mossad, at a ceremony marking the 7 October Hamas attack. File pic: Reuters
The mediators are making renewed efforts to halt fighting in Gaza and free the remaining Israeli hostages held there before Mr Trump takes office.
A deal would also involve the release of some Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.
Families of Israeli hostages welcomed Mr Netanyahu’s decision to dispatch the officials, with the Hostages and Missing Families Forum Headquarters describing it as a “historic opportunity”.
Mr Witkoff arrived in Doha on Friday and met the Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Qatar’s foreign ministry said.
Egyptian and Qatari mediators received reassurances from Mr Witkoff that the US would continue to work towards a fair deal to end the war soon, Egyptian security sources said, though no further details were released.
Read more from Sky News:
Why does Donald Trump want Greenland?
Trump says Vladimir Putin wants to meet
A guide to Donald Trump’s inauguration
Israel launched its assault on Gaza after Hamas fighters stormed across its borders in October 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli figures.
Families of the roughly 100 hostages still held in Gaza are pressing Mr Netanyahu to reach a deal to bring their loved ones home.
Since then, more than 46,000 people have been killed in Gaza, according to Palestinian health officials, with much of the area destroyed and gripped by a humanitarian crisis, with most of its population displaced.
Pope Francis has been honoured with America’s highest civilian award by President Joe Biden, who has described the pontiff as “a light of faith, hope, and love that shines brightly across the world”.
It is the first time Mr Biden, 82, has given the Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction during his four years in office.
In a statement, the White House said the award is “presented to individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States, world peace, or other significant societal, public or private endeavours”.
Mr Biden had been scheduled to present the medal to Pope Francis, 88, in person on Saturday in Rome on what was to be the final overseas trip of his presidency. But the president cancelled his visit to monitor the California wildfires.
The White House said Mr Biden bestowed the award during a phone call in which they also discussed efforts to promote peace and alleviate suffering around the world.
President Joe Biden presented Bono with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Pic: AP
Denzel Washington was also recognised. Pic: AP
Michael J Fox was bestowed with the honour. Pic: AP
The award can be presented with or without distinction.
Mr Biden presented the medal of freedom – without distinction – on 5 January to several people including fellow Democrat Hillary Clinton, humanitarian and U2 singer Bono, fashion designer Ralph Lauren and actors Michael J Fox and Denzel Washington.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
‘I could have beaten Trump’
Read more from Sky News:
Gay men can become priests
Search widened for missing sisters
Carrie Johnson left ‘struggling to breathe’
Mr Biden himself is a recipient of the award with distinction, recognised when he was vice president by then president Barack Obama in a surprise ceremony eight years ago.
Barack Obama presented Joe Biden with the Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction in 2017. File pic: AP
The citation for the pope’s honour said his “mission of serving the poor has never ceased”.
“A loving pastor, he joyfully answers children’s questions about God. A challenging teacher, he commands us to fight for peace and protect the planet. A welcoming leader, he reaches out to different faiths,” it added.
Ukraine has captured two North Korean soldiers fighting in Russia’s Kursk region, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said.
The injured pair are now in Kyiv and communicating with the Security Service of Ukraine, the country’s domestic intelligence agency, he said.
Ukrainian special forces and paratroopers captured the North Koreans, Mr Zelenskyy said in a post on X.
“As with all prisoners of war, these two North Korean soldiers are receiving the necessary medical assistance,” he said.
“I have instructed the Security Service of Ukraine to grant journalists access to these prisoners.
“The world needs to know the truth about what is happening.”
Mr Zelenskyy said capturing the soldiers alive was “not easy”. He also claimed Russian and North Korean forces fighting in Kursk have tried to conceal the presence of North Korean soldiers, including by killing wounded comrades on the battlefield to avoid their capture and interrogation by Ukraine.
The post included images of the two men – one with a bandage around his jaw and the other around both hands and wrists – and what appeared to be a Russian military document.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Ukrainian drone targets Kursk soldiers
Ukraine’s security service SBU on Saturday provided further details.
It said one of those detained had no documents at all, while the other had been carrying a Russian military ID card in the name of a man from Tuva, a Russian region bordering Mongolia.
“The prisoners do not speak Ukrainian, English or Russian, so communication with them takes place through Korean translators in cooperation with South Korean intelligence,” a statement said.
One of the soldiers claimed he had been told he was going to Russia for training, rather than to fight against Ukraine, according to the SBU.
The agency added both men are being provided with medical care in line with the Geneva Conventions, and investigated “in cooperation with South Korean intelligence”.
Read more:
Ukraine launches new offensive in Russia’s Kursk region
Russia and Ukraine swap at least 300 prisoners of war
North Korean regular troops entered the war on Russia’s side in October, according to Ukraine and its Western allies.
US, South Korean and Ukrainian intelligence assessments suggest up to 12,000 North Korean combat troops have been sent by Pyongyang under a pact with Moscow.
They believe North Korea has also been supplying Russia with vast quantities of artillery shells.
-
Sports2 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports9 months agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports1 year agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports3 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike
-
Business2 years agoBank of England’s extraordinary response to government policy is almost unthinkable | Ed Conway