Overview

• Macías was flown out of Guayaquil on July 20–21 under Ecuador’s first-ever extradition since lifting its constitutional ban.
• He appeared Monday before the U.S. District Court in Brooklyn and pleaded not guilty to seven federal counts of international cocaine distribution and firearms trafficking.
• A judge set September 19 for jury selection in a case where prosecutors accuse him of leading Los Choneros in alliance with Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel.
• Quito credits the expedited transfer to its 17-month manhunt, state of emergency measures and a referendum-driven legal overhaul.
• U.S. authorities provided bilateral guarantees of respect for Macías’s rights and life as part of the extradition agreement.