"Escalating Crisis: Gunmen Storm Ecuador TV Studio Amid Country's Unrest"

Masked gunmen stormed a TV studio in Guayaquil, Ecuador, during a live broadcast, following a series of attacks and police officer abductions. President Daniel Noboa declared the country in an "internal armed conflict" and issued a state of emergency after the apparent escapes of two gang leaders. The unprecedented assault led to the arrest of 13 gunmen, who face terrorism charges, and marked a turning point in Ecuador's battle against gang violence. The government designated 20 drug trafficking gangs as terrorist groups and authorized the military to "neutralize" them within international humanitarian law. The violence is linked to drug trafficking and territorial control by gangs with ties to Mexican and Colombian cartels.