Former Beauty Queen Esther Gabriela Murillo Cruz Shot Dead in Ecuador Amid Escalating Cartel Violence

Esther Gabriela Murillo Cruz was fatally shot while travelling with her baby and partner

A 25-year-old former beauty queen, Esther Gabriela Murillo Cruz, was killed in a brutal drive-by shooting while traveling with her baby daughter and partner in the early hours of Saturday in Manta, Ecuador—a city increasingly gripped by drug cartel violence.

The young model, crowned "Queen of Marabi Province" in 2018 after winning three local beauty contests, was ambushed on the Circunvalación highway in Manabí by two gunmen on a motorbike. The attackers opened fire on the vehicle, spraying it with bullets in what appears to be a targeted hit.

The ex-beauty queen is just one of thousands to have been killed in Ecuador in the last few months

Murillo was rushed to a local hospital with gunshot wounds to vital organs but was pronounced dead despite intensive medical efforts. Her 30-year-old partner and their one-year-old daughter were also hospitalized following the attack. The severity of their injuries remains unclear.

Authorities have launched an urgent investigation to identify the assailants and determine the motive behind the shooting. No arrests have been made as of yet.

Murillo’s sudden death has triggered widespread mourning on social media, where she had tens of thousands of followers. Many expressed heartbreak and frustration over Ecuador’s deteriorating security situation. “How sad! And such a girl, with a whole life ahead of her,” one commenter wrote. Another added, “Comfort and strength to your family.”

The model's partner was also hospitalized in the attack

The tragedy comes amid a surge of narco-violence that has plunged Ecuador into chaos in recent years. Once considered one of South America’s safer countries, Ecuador has seen its murder rate increase eightfold since 2018. In 2023 alone, more than 8,000 homicides were recorded, surpassing death tolls in drug-plagued nations like Mexico and Colombia.

In January 2024, the country saw a record 781 killings in a single month. The violence has spilled into all areas of public life. Gangs have seized control of prisons, executed rivals in public, hung bodies from bridges, and even stormed a live television broadcast in Guayaquil, forcing the presenter to read a cartel message at gunpoint.

Some of the most notorious criminal groups—such as Los Tiguerones, Los Lobos, and Los Choneros—have been known to dismember victims, remove their hearts, and post gruesome videos online to spread fear and assert dominance.

In May, a mass shooting at a birthday party in Santa Elena Province claimed eight lives. Earlier this year, a suspected British national was lynched and burned alive by a mob in Sucumbíos Province after being accused of a shooting. Police were overpowered and unable to intervene.

Despite aggressive government crackdowns and military interventions, Ecuador remains the world’s largest cocaine exporter and a battleground for warring cartels. Ordinary citizens, like Murillo and her family, are increasingly caught in the crossfire of this brutal conflict.