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2w ago

Ecuador Extradites Notorious Gang Leader 'Fito' to U.S.

It marks the first use of a referendum-approved law, paving the way for his Monday arraignment in Brooklyn federal court.

Security forces stand outside the National Court of Justice following a hearing for the extradition of Ecuadorean gang leader Jose Adolfo Macias, known as "Fito," who on Friday accepted the court's request to be extradited to the United States to face drug and gun charges, in Quito, Ecuador, July 11, 2025. REUTERS/Karen Toro/File Photo
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Overview

  • Macías was transferred to U.S. custody on July 20 after consenting to extradition under reforms approved in last year’s referendum.
  • He faces a seven-count federal indictment in Brooklyn from April accusing him of cocaine distribution, conspiracy and firearms violations.
  • His lawyer, Alexei Schacht, said Macías will plead not guilty when he appears in federal court on Monday.
  • The transfer follows his June 25 capture hiding in a bunker beneath floor tiles in a luxury home in Manta.
  • Ecuadorian authorities contend that his Los Choneros gang collaborated with Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel, Colombia’s Gulf Clan and Balkan mafias to traffic cocaine internationally.