Ecuador’s most infamous drug lord, Adolfo Macias, alias “Fito”, has agreed to be extradited to the United States to face charges of cocaine and weapons smuggling.
A court in Quito, the capital of Ecuador, announced that the country’s most notorious drug lord, Adolfo Macias, also known as “Fito”, has agreed to be extradited to the United States to face charges related to cocaine distribution, conspiracy, and weapons smuggling.
Macias, who is the head of the “Los Choneros” gang, was recaptured in June of this year, after escaping from a maximum-security prison 18 months ago. His escape led to a surge in gang violence and a widespread manhunt.
Following his capture, Macias was found hiding in an underground bunker beneath a mansion in the port city of Manta. He had been serving a 34-year sentence for involvement in organized crime, drug trafficking, and murder.
Macias, seen wearing an orange prison uniform, participated in a court hearing via videolink from a high-security prison in Guayaquil. When asked by the judge if he accepted extradition, he responded, “Yes, I accept.” His extradition would mark the first instance of Ecuador extraditing one of its citizens since the measure was introduced last year after a referendum aimed at curbing criminal gang activities.
Ecuador has witnessed a rise in drug-related violence in recent years, as rival gangs with ties to Mexican and Colombian cartels vie for control within the country’s prisons. Macias was the unofficial boss of his prison in Guayaquil, where authorities found images glorifying him, weapons, and US dollars.
Los Choneros, the gang led by Macias, has connections to the Sinaloa cartel in Mexico, the Gulf Clan in Colombia, and Balkan mafias, according to the Ecuadorian Organized Crime Observatory. Macias is also considered a suspect in the assassination of presidential candidate and anti-corruption advocate Fernando Villavicencio in 2023.
In response to Macias’s prison break, President Daniel Noboa declared a state of “internal armed conflict” and mobilized the military and tanks to combat the gangs. The situation has become increasingly dire, as more than 70% of the world’s cocaine now passes through Ecuador’s ports. In 2024, the country seized a record 294 tons of drugs, primarily cocaine.
Macias, who is the head of the “Los Choneros” gang, was recaptured in June of this year, after escaping from a maximum-security prison 18 months ago. His escape led to a surge in gang violence and a widespread manhunt.
Following his capture, Macias was found hiding in an underground bunker beneath a mansion in the port city of Manta. He had been serving a 34-year sentence for involvement in organized crime, drug trafficking, and murder.
Macias, seen wearing an orange prison uniform, participated in a court hearing via videolink from a high-security prison in Guayaquil. When asked by the judge if he accepted extradition, he responded, “Yes, I accept.” His extradition would mark the first instance of Ecuador extraditing one of its citizens since the measure was introduced last year after a referendum aimed at curbing criminal gang activities.
Ecuador has witnessed a rise in drug-related violence in recent years, as rival gangs with ties to Mexican and Colombian cartels vie for control within the country’s prisons. Macias was the unofficial boss of his prison in Guayaquil, where authorities found images glorifying him, weapons, and US dollars.
Los Choneros, the gang led by Macias, has connections to the Sinaloa cartel in Mexico, the Gulf Clan in Colombia, and Balkan mafias, according to the Ecuadorian Organized Crime Observatory. Macias is also considered a suspect in the assassination of presidential candidate and anti-corruption advocate Fernando Villavicencio in 2023.
In response to Macias’s prison break, President Daniel Noboa declared a state of “internal armed conflict” and mobilized the military and tanks to combat the gangs. The situation has become increasingly dire, as more than 70% of the world’s cocaine now passes through Ecuador’s ports. In 2024, the country seized a record 294 tons of drugs, primarily cocaine.
