The relationship between megathrust rupture, slow slip events (SSE), and fluid dynamics is an active research area. Earthquake swarms, frequently observed in subduction zones and associated with SSE and fluid migration, can provide insights into processes that link slow slip and fault rupture. The 2016 Mw 7.8 Pedernales earthquake ruptured the Ecuador subduction zone north of the Carnegie Ridge, triggering slow slip and the Esmeraldas swarm on a crustal fault in an adjacent segment of the subduction zone. Six months later, a second earthquake swarm occurred near Atacames in the same northern segment of the subduction zone. Using seismic data from temporary and permanent stations, we developed a catalog of events in the Atacames swarm utilizing advanced phase detection and association models, PhaseNet, and GaMMA. We used stations ≤100 km from event hypocenters and at least 8 P and 6 S phases per event to relocate events with the double difference method implemented in HypoDD. The swarm contains 312 events between Dec 02, 2016, and Jan 01, 2017, with local magnitudes from >1.0 to  5.76 and depths from 2 to 21 km. The swarm consists of three distinct bursts interspersed with two quiescent phases. The bursts gradually increase in events per day over time, with two smaller ones preceding the main burst. Event depths increase as the swarm progresses. The main burst, spanning nine days from Dec 19-28, contains 213 events, peaking at 74 events per day, and includes the largest magnitude event of the swarm (5.76). Hypocenters align along a south-dipping crustal structure. This alignment may indicate the presence of a previously unrecognized fault or fracture system within the crust, potentially influenced by fluid migration from the plate interface. The initial smaller bursts may have acted as precursors to the main burst, weakening the fault and facilitating subsequent larger slips. The periods of quiescence between bursts could indicate transient stress drops or temporary fault stabilization.