All articles tagged with #gang violence
An Ecuadorian gang leader linked to Los Águilas was shot dead outside Guayaquil's arrivals terminal in a bouquet-and teddy bear ambush; two teenagers were detained as Ecuador faces a spike in gang violence amid a new state of emergency across ten provinces.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres visited Haiti amid escalating gang violence, meeting interim authorities and residents in a makeshift shelter and urging international support to restore security and hold elections.
A 17-year-old was beaten and left in a coma outside Madison Square Garden after the Knicks’ Game 4 win; police say the assault, tied to a gang-attack, stemmed from a verbal dispute sparked by a provocative content creator, and the teen, initially in critical condition, has since stabilized while investigators seek the suspect.
Twenty-six leaders, members and associates of the Trinitarios in Massachusetts were charged in a federal racketeering conspiracy and drug trafficking case linked to five murders and 19 attempted murders, part of a multi-year, cross-state crackdown involving the Lawrence, Lynn, Haverhill and Boston chapters; the indictment details the gang’s structure, recruitment of youths, extensive drug trafficking, extortion and other violent crimes, with several defendants already charged or convicted in related cases and ongoing federal prosecutions.
In Port-au-Prince’s Cité Soleil, residents protested for police protection after weekend gang clashes drove hundreds from their homes, with reports of killings and arson as hospitals evacuated and the U.N.-backed force works to quell the violence.
Armed gang clashes in Port-au-Prince force hundreds to flee their homes, scattering families along the road to Toussaint Louverture airport as authorities and aid groups scramble to respond.
Dozens are killed and thousands forced to flee as armed gangs rampage through Haiti’s Artibonite region ahead of a multinational force deployment, with UN alarm and widespread destruction threatening the country’s breadbasket and food supplies.
Haiti is entering a dangerous political vacuum as the US-backed transitional presidential council’s term expires without a president or Parliament, while gangs have surged and displaced thousands, complicating planned elections; international security forces and private contractors are trying to stabilize the country, but governance remains deeply fractured.
Seven officers from Guatemala's National Civil Police were killed in attacks blamed on gangs in retaliation for the government's refusal to transfer gang leaders to lower-security prisons after inmates held hostages in three facilities; authorities retook one prison as gangs, including Barrio 18 and MS-13, press for concessions amid ongoing violence.
Five severed heads were hung on posts at Puerto López beach in Ecuador with a message threatening extortion by gangs, illustrating a spike in violence tied to drug-cartel activity; authorities note a record homicide rate in 2025 and ongoing government efforts, as gangs operate across Colombia and Peru transit routes.
Rapper Kay Flock, real name Kevin Perez, was sentenced to 30 years in prison for his involvement in multiple shootings linked to gang violence in the Bronx, which derailed his rising music career. The judge criticized him for glorifying violence and not showing remorse, despite his claims of personal growth.
A new report emphasizes that short-term solutions like killing gang members in Haiti are insufficient; instead, a comprehensive approach involving disarmament, dismantling political and financial backers, and addressing political influence is essential to effectively resolve the ongoing gang crisis and prevent violence from resurging.
The EU Council has imposed restrictive measures on three individuals, including former Haitian President Michel Martelly and his advisor, as well as a former senator and a gang entity, due to their involvement in escalating gang violence and human rights abuses in Haiti, aiming to restore stability and accountability.
At least 31 inmates, including 27 who hanged themselves, were found dead in Ecuador's El Oro prison following gang clashes and violence, highlighting ongoing issues with overcrowding and gang influence in the country's prisons.
A massive police and military raid in Rio de Janeiro targeting the Red Command gang resulted in over 120 deaths, arrests, and seizures of weapons and drugs, highlighting Brazil's ongoing struggle with entrenched organized crime, community violence, and the complex social and political challenges involved in combating these criminal networks.