Overview

• José Adolfo Macías Villamar, known as ‘Fito,’ was arrested on June 26 in a hidden bunker beneath a Manta residence after evading authorities for 17 months.
• He led Los Choneros, a Pacific coast gang that solidified its role in international cocaine trafficking through ties with Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel.
• His January 2024 escape from a Guayaquil prison sparked deadly riots in multiple facilities and prompted President Daniel Noboa to declare a national state of emergency.
• Fito faces 14 ongoing judicial proceedings in Ecuador for charges including murder, criminal association and illegal weapons possession and had served 12 of a 34-year sentence.
• Ecuadorian officials have requested his transfer to U.S. custody to confront federal drug and firearms offenses in New York.