Overview

• He was found hiding in a bunker beneath a luxury home in Manta after a 10-hour joint operation by Ecuadorian police and military forces.
• Authorities credited recently passed Solidarity and Intelligence laws for expanding security powers that enabled his swift detention.
• Ecuador has formally requested his extradition to the United States, where he faces a seven-count federal indictment on cocaine distribution, conspiracy and firearms-related charges.
• His January 2024 escape from Guayaquil prison unleashed riots, bombings and kidnappings that led President Daniel Noboa to declare a 60-day state of emergency.
• Los Choneros is designated a terrorist organization in Ecuador and accused of operating a transnational cocaine network with Mexican cartels while smuggling US firearms.