Ecuador's Most Wanted Gang Leader 'Fito' Recaptured After Months on the Run

Manta, Ecuador – Jose Adolfo Macias Villamar, widely known as 'Fito,' the elusive leader of Ecuador's feared Los Choneros criminal gang, was recaptured on Wednesday, June 25, in Manta. His apprehension follows months of intense search operations after he escaped from a prison in Guayaquil in January 2024. Fito's January escape triggered an unprecedented wave of violence across Ecuador, prompting President Daniel Noboa to declare a state of 'internal armed conflict' and designate Los Choneros, along with 21 other criminal groups, as terrorist organizations. Macias Villamar was serving a 34-year sentence for various crimes, including homicide and drug trafficking. Allegations of corruption had swirled around his previous incarceration, where he reportedly enjoyed a cell equipped with a four-piece bathroom set, a queen-sized bed, and a mini-fridge. Reports even indicated he managed to shoot a music video while imprisoned. This is not Fito's first escape from custody. In 2013, he also fled prison but was recaptured approximately three months later. The US Justice Department further indicted Fito on international drug and gun charges in April, highlighting the transnational nature of his criminal enterprise. President Noboa has indicated that his administration is prepared to extradite the gang leader to the United States, signaling a firm stance against organized crime and a commitment to international cooperation in combating drug trafficking.