The Ecuadorian USB bomb attacks occurred in March 2023 when boobytrapped USB drives were sent to Ecuadorian media.[1] [2] [3] One journalist was injured.[1] [2]
Lenin Artieda suffered minor injuries when he plugged in a USB drive he had received at Ecuavisa in Guayaquil.[1] [2] Police carried out a controlled explosion on a similar device sent to TC Televisión, also in Guayaquil.[1] [2] Freedom of expression group said that a third media group had been attacked.[1] [2] Teleamazonas said that one of their journalists had received an anonymous envelope with a device inside that police confirmed contained explosives.
Other devices sent via post either never exploded or were never opened.[1] [2]
Two of the devices were found at media outlets in Guayaquil, two in Quito and one at a package delivery company.[3]
The department of the attorney general of Ecuador confirmed that it had opened a terrorism investigation on 20 March 2023.[1] [2]
According to interior minister Juan Zapata the letters were all sent from the same town, with three going to Guayaqil and two to Quito.[1] [2]
The head of the forensic sciences services said the devices contained "military-type" explosives.[1] [2]