At least 10 inmates were killed in clashes between rival drug gangs inside a prison in Esmeraldas, Ecuador, police said Thursday.

The riot is the second deadly prison outbreak this week, after 13 inmates and a guard were killed Monday in another facility.

Authorities identified the victims as members of Los Choneros and Los Lobos, two powerful gangs recently designated as foreign terrorist organizations by the U.S.

Graphic images showed bloodied corpses and decapitations, highlighting the brutality of the violence.

Families gathered anxiously outside the prison seeking news of relatives.

Since 2021, more than 500 inmates have died in Ecuador’s overcrowded jails, which have become hubs of organized crime, CBS News has reported.

Violence has surged nationwide as gangs tied to Mexican and Colombian cartels fight for control of drug routes, with over 70% of global cocaine now passing through Ecuador’s ports.