Ecuadorian football has been rocked by tragedy following the death of Jonathan Gonzalez, a 31-year-old player nicknamed “Speedy.” Authorities confirmed Gonzalez was fatally shot in an attack inside a house in the coastal province of Esmeraldas, near the Colombian border—a region long plagued by violent clashes between rival drug gangs.

Police said Gonzalez suffered multiple gunshot wounds, though no motive has been disclosed. A second victim, who has not been identified, also died after being rushed to hospital.

Gonzalez, who played for the second-division club 22 de Julio FC, previously had stints abroad with Olimpia (Paraguay) and León (Mexico). His death adds to a wave of violence that has increasingly touched Ecuadorian football in recent weeks.

On September 10, players Maicol Valencia and Leandro Yepez of second-division side Exapromo Costa FC were shot during an armed assault in the coastal city of Manta. Valencia died instantly, while Yepez succumbed to his injuries two days later. The club later said the footballers had been caught in an attack aimed at another target.

Ecuador has become a hotspot in global cocaine trafficking, wedged between top producers Colombia and Peru. Officials say the country now serves as the departure point for nearly 70 percent of the world’s cocaine supply, fueling violent gang wars. The homicide rate, once among the lowest in the region, surged from six per 100,000 in 2018 to a record 47 in 2023, before dipping slightly last year.

The Ecuadorian Football Federation (FEF) and local clubs issued statements expressing condolences to Gonzalez’s family, remembering his career and lamenting the growing violence affecting the sport.