Judge killed amid rising violence in western Ecuador

QUITO, Oct. 16 (Xinhua) -- An Ecuadorian criminal court judge was shot dead on Thursday in the town of Montecristi, in western Manabi province, where violent crime has surged, local media reported.

Judge Marcos Mendoza was shot to death outside a school while dropping off his children, according to his relatives.

Preliminary reports indicate that an armed assailant on a motorcycle intercepted the judge and opened fire.

Police officers cordoned off the area and collected ballistic evidence as part of the investigation.

The judge was linked to an alleged money laundering case under investigation by the Attorney General's Office, said the report.

More than a dozen people involved in the case are being prosecuted, including Jose Adolfo Macias Villamar, alias "Fito," the country's main drug trafficker and the leader of the organized crime group Los Choneros.

The Ecuadorian Judges' Association condemned Mendoza's killing in a statement on Thursday, calling for a thorough investigation and urgent measures to ensure the safety of judicial officials.

At least 15 judges or prosecutors have been killed in Ecuador since 2022, according to Human Rights Watch. ■