Overview

• Macías Villamar was flown to New York on July 20 in the first extradition under Ecuador’s revised constitution after U.S. authorities offered guarantees for his rights and safety
• The 45-year-old leader of Los Choneros faces seven federal charges in Brooklyn including conspiracy to distribute cocaine and trafficking U.S.-sourced arms
• In his initial appearance before Judge Vera Scandon, Macías pleaded not guilty and cited arthritis and shrapnel wounds as medical concerns requiring review
• The judge set the next status hearing for September 19 to assign a trial judge and consider pretrial motions unless a plea agreement emerges
• Ecuador’s government hailed the transfer as a decisive blow to organized crime and a milestone in its strategy to dismantle the Los Choneros cartel