QUITO, Ecuador — The wife and young child of Ecuadorian soccer player Jackson Rodríguez were kidnapped early Wednesday during a violent home invasion in Guayaquil, a city increasingly plagued by organized crime and violence.
According to police, the break-in happened around 3 a.m. at Rodríguez’s home in the coastal city, located in Guayas province. The 26-year-old fullback, who plays for Emelec, told authorities that he hid under a bed when he heard his front door being violently forced open.
The intruders, reportedly searching for Rodríguez, confronted his wife and asked whether he was present. When she responded, the men took her and the couple’s 5-year-old child. Rodríguez told investigators he later saw the kidnappers fleeing the scene in a gray double-cab pickup truck.
Police chief Édison Rodríguez confirmed the account and said authorities are actively searching for the victims and suspects.
The incident comes just days after the Ecuadorian government declared a state of emergency in nine provinces, including Guayas, as part of an intensified crackdown on organized crime. The declaration allows for greater deployment of military and police forces in high-risk areas and grants emergency powers to law enforcement.
Ecuador has seen a dramatic rise in violent crime in recent years, fueled by the growing presence of drug trafficking organizations. Guayaquil, in particular, has become a hotspot for violence. The city’s strategic port location makes it a key point for the shipment of illegal drugs to Europe, Central America, and the United States.
Between January and March 2025 alone, Ecuador recorded 2,345 violent deaths, with Guayaquil accounting for 742 of them — more than any other city in the country.
Athletes and other public figures have increasingly become targets in this climate of insecurity. In December 2024, soccer player Pedro Perlaza was abducted in the northern city of Esmeraldas. He was rescued days later, unharmed.
Authorities have not yet confirmed the motive behind the latest kidnapping, but the attack adds to growing concerns over safety and lawlessness in Ecuador’s urban centers.
As of Wednesday afternoon, no ransom demands had been reported publicly, and the search for Rodríguez’s family remained ongoing.
