Ecuadorian justice has taken the first firm step after the bloody attack that shocked South American sport this week. This Friday, the Attorney General's Office reported that a judge ordered the pretrial detention of two men allegedly involved in the murder of Mario Pineida, the experienced defender for Barcelona de Guayaquil, who was gunned down last Wednesday in a commercial area of ??the city. The defendants, formally identified as Cristian PG and Jimnery PB, face charges for their alleged participation in the double homicide, as a woman also lost her life in the same incident. According to the agency's official channels, the magistrate in charge of the case accepted the evidence presented by the prosecutors, ordering that both men remain in custody while the investigation continues. The crime, which has shocked the world due to its brutality, was captured on security camera footage circulating on social media. The images show the exact moment when two individuals—one wearing a cap and the other a motorcycle helmet—burst into the establishment where the player was. Upon seeing the gun barrel, Pineida raised his hands in a gesture of surrender, a silent plea that did not stop the attacker. The hitman repeatedly shot the athlete, while his accomplice did the same to the woman accompanying him. The cold-bloodedness of the attack, carried out in broad daylight in one of Guayaquil's busiest areas, reflects the serious security situation plaguing the Andean country. Football under the shadow of organized crime. The death of "El Pitbull," as he was affectionately known by fans, is not an isolated incident. Pineida has become the fifth footballer murdered in Ecuador so far in 2025, a statistic that chills the blood of executives and players alike. However, his case carries more weight in public opinion:He is the first player in the first division and from one of the country's biggest clubs to fall victim to a contract killing in this recent wave of violence. Ecuador, and particularly Guayaquil, is mired in an unprecedented crisis of violence. The tentacles of organized crime have permeated various layers of society, and authorities are investigating whether these attacks against athletes are linked to the sports betting networks that have begun to expand in the region. Mario Pineida, at 33, had an enviable career. After developing at Independiente del Valle, his talent took him to Brazilian football with Fluminense, before establishing himself as a historic figure at Barcelona SC, a club with which he regularly competed in the Copa Libertadores. His murder leaves an impossible void to fill in the Barcelona SC locker room and calls into question the security guarantees for professional athletes in a country where, tragically, the ball has been stained with blood.