Ecuador police find seven charred bodies in La Troncal

Ecuadorian police found seven charred bodies inside a house in La Troncal, a town in the southern province of Canar, authorities said.

Police said the bodies were found Tuesday in a rural area. A police report said two of the bodies were tied with wire and that a burned-out car was outside the residence.

The victims were between 21 and 30 years old, the report said. It said the violence may be linked to a gang-related turf war.

Messages including “land of Wolves” and “the Wolves are active” had been painted on the walls of the house where the bodies were found. Los Lobos, meaning The Wolves, is one of Ecuador's main drug trafficking and extortion gangs, with ties to international cartels.

Authorities said a former mayor of a mining town, whom they consider the main financial backer of Los Lobos, was arrested Tuesday in a neighbouring province.

The area is under a state of emergency because of rising violence. Ecuador has become a major cocaine trafficking hub, and authorities recorded more than 9,200 violent deaths in the country last year.