The Ecuadoran government has deported the notorious drug trafficker Adolfo Macías to the US, over a year after he fled from a high-security prison.
According to a tracking site, the flight carrying Macías, also known as “Fito”, touched down in New York state on Sunday night. In April, the US Attorney’s Office charged Macías, who heads the Los Choneros gang, with cocaine distribution, conspiracy, and firearms violations, including weapons smuggling.
A letter from the US Department of Justice stated that Macías was set to appear in Brooklyn’s federal court on Monday for an arraignment on the superseding indictment. Macías’ lawyer, Alexei Schacht, plans to plead not guilty.
At a maximum-security prison in south-west Ecuador on Sunday, Macías was taken into custody “for the purposes of the extradition process”, said a spokesperson for the national prison authority (SNAI). Macías, a former taxi driver, agreed in court last week to be extradited to the US to face these charges.
He is the first Ecuadoran extradited by his country after a new measure was implemented last year following a referendum where President Daniel Noboa sought to take a tougher stance against criminal gangs.
Ecuador, once a reputable nation between Colombia and Peru – the two largest cocaine exporters, has witnessed a surge in violence over the past few years as gangs connect with Mexican and Colombian cartels vying for supremacy.
Following his escape from prison in January 2024, Noboa declared Ecuador to be in a state of internal armed conflict and called for the military’s aid in “neutralising” the gangs. This act has been disapproved by human rights organizations.
Los Choneros, Macías’ gang, has ties with the Sinaloa cartel in Mexico, Colombian’s Gulf Clan, the world’s largest cocaine exporter, and Balkan mafias, according to the Ecuadorian Organized Crime Observatory. Macías’ prison escape stirred violence and a substantial military operation aimed to capture him, with government posters offering a $1m reward for his capture.
Macías was found on June 25, hiding in a concealed bunker under floor tiles in a luxury home in Manta, the center of Los Choneros operations. President Noboa said at the time that he would extradite Macías as soon as possible, “We are happy to send him there and let him face the law in the North.”
According to government figures, more than 70% of the world’s cocaine production passes through Ecuador’s ports. In 2024, the country saw a record 294 tonnes of drugs, mostly cocaine, seized.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jul/21/ecuador-extradites-drug-kingpin-adolfo-macias-fito-us
