Cartel hitmen kill suspect in Esmeraldas hospital

Chilling video reveals the moment two hitmen disguised as a policeman and a doctor casually strolled into a hospital in Esmeraldas before gunning down a suspected cartel member who had survived an earlier jailhouse assassination attempt.

Suspected Colombian cartel hitmen, dressed as a policeman and doctor, caught on video before they murder another cartel member.

Alex Lugo Saltos, 33, was recovering from surgery to remove bullets from his back and leg at Delfina Torres hospital last week when the execution was carried out.

Video shows his killers, one wearing a fluorescent police vest and the other in a white doctor’s coat, entering the hospital and walking past the front desk on their way to kill Saltos. They then make their way upstairs, accompanied by a real police officer, where they find the ward where Saltos is being kept.

Once there, one of the men suddenly pulls out his weapon, ordering the real officer to hand over his pistol. With both of the men armed, they force another security guard in the corridor to the floor at gunpoint before entering Saltos’ ward.

Once inside they force another security guard to get down, before locating Saltos and killing him. Video taken from the hallway reveals the moment they opened fire, sending nurses fleeing in panic.

The hit came after suspected gangster Saltos, who was serving a 26-year sentence for murder, had been shot twice by his cellmate but survived.

Two suspects, identified by the initials L.A.G.P and J.E.S, were arrested on Sunday. They are being held in a jail near Esmeraldas. According to official sources, J.E.S was arrested also in 2016 for homicide. L.A.G.P. was arrested in 2015 for illegal weapons possession. Police believe the murder was carried out to stop Saltos from testifying in an upcoming trial.

During the arrest, police seized two submachine guns and a gun believed to be the one stolen from the police officer.

According to local media, the murder of the prisoner could be linked with a war between rival Colombian gangs Los Choneros and Los Lagartos. The area around Esmeraldas, on the northwest coast of Ecuador, has become a battleground between Colombian drug organizatoins in recent years.
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Credit: Daily Mail, www.dailymail.co.uk