Drug capo among 16 dead in bloody Ecuador prison riot

QUITO, Ecuador (AP) — The death toll from a bloody fight among prison inmates has risen to 16. And Ecuadorian authorities say one of the dead was an alleged drug gang boss who had evaded charges in Peru by faking his death during the pandemic. Officials say the number of wounded from clashes among inmates armed with guns and knives at the state prison in Latacunga stands at 43, with two in critical condition. The fighting erupted Monday and continued into the early hours of Tuesday. The drug capo was identified as Leonardo Norero, alias “El Patron.” Officials say he was seized in late May along with weapons, and $7 million in cash.