Ecuadorian president deploys 4,000 troops and police to Quito amid rising crime

Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa announced Monday the deployment of 4,000 police officers and military personnel to Quito, launching a targeted security strategy following a surge in robberies and the discovery of a decapitated body hanging from a bridge in the capital.

Under the new "Quito Protection Plan," 2,000 additional police officers will be posted across high-density public areas, including schools, markets, banks, shopping centers, the subway system, and transit hubs during peak commute hours. An additional 2,000 military troops will reinforce joint operations in critical corridors.

“To those who believe they can intimidate the state and its capital, I have one thing to say: Every attack will be met with a stronger response,” Noboa warned in a video statement posted to his Instagram account. “A new era is beginning, in which the light that radiates from Quito will continue to serve as a beacon for the entire continent.”

According to a statement from the presidency, the operation includes the deployment of 100 new vehicles and motorcycles, alongside 20 surveillance drones.

Security forces will concentrate efforts along major transport routes used by transnational gangs, including the Simon Bolivar Avenue, a 58-kilometer (36-mile) highway running through the eastern sector of the city, as well as the historic downtown core and primary entry points to the metropolitan area.

The security escalation follows a series of disturbing violent incidents. On July 29, police discovered a decapitated body hanging from a bridge over Simon Bolivar Avenue, a tactic previously associated with coastal drug-trafficking hubs such as Guayaquil and Duran, but increasingly seen in the capital.

Concurrently, a coalition of three major universities in Quito issued an urgent appeal to the government, citing a sharp increase in muggings, violent thefts, and drug-related incidents targeting students in areas surrounding academic campuses.

The capital is located in Pichincha province, one of 10 provinces currently operating under a state of emergency declared by the executive branch in June to combat organized crime.

States of emergency and military street patrols have become a permanent fixture of policy since early 2024, when President Noboa officially designated Ecuador as being in a state of "internal armed conflict" to grant security forces expanded authorities to counter violent cartels.