Authorities said the 31-year-old, nicknamed “Speedy” Gonzalez, was shot in an attack inside a house in the coastal province of Esmeraldas, border of Colombia which is plagued by rival drug gangs.

Police did not specify a motive for the crime.

A second victim, who was not identified, died while being rushed to the hospital.

Ecuador is nestled between the world’s biggest cocaine producers, Colombia and Peru, and has become the departure point for 70 percent of the world’s supply of the drug.

Two players from the second-division team Exapromo Costa FC, Maicol Valencia and Leandro Yepez, were shot in an armed assault in the southwestern coastal city of Manta on September 10, 2025.

Valencia died in the gunfire, while Yepez succumbed to his injuries two days later.

Read Also: “I Was Forced to Run Injured at World Championships” — Samuel Ogazi Speaks Out

The club said the players were victims of an attack directed at another target.

A player for the second-division team 22 de Julio FC, Jonathan Gonzalez previously played to Olimpia in Paraguay and Leon in Mexico.

The Ecuadorian Football Federation (FEF) and local clubs expressed condolences to the footballer’s family.

Source: Channels