Overview

• After escaping in January 2024, Macías Villamar evaded capture for 17 months and fueled a wave of gang violence across Ecuador.
• Police and military special forces located him in an underground bunker beneath a villa in Manta and took him into custody without resistance.
• His three-year-old daughter unintentionally revealed his hiding place to authorities, providing the crucial lead for the raid.
• He faces US charges in New York for drug trafficking, conspiracy and weapons offenses and is now awaiting extradition.
• Security experts say his removal could weaken Los Choneros’ links with the Sinaloa cartel and disrupt key cocaine transit routes through Ecuador.