Thu Jun 26 03:49:17 UTC 2025: **FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE**

**Infamous Gang Leader “Fito” Recaptured, Faces Extradition to U.S.**

**Quito, Ecuador –** Jose Adolfo Macias, alias “Fito,” the notorious leader of Ecuador’s Los Choneros gang, has been apprehended after an 18-month manhunt and will be extradited to the United States to face drug trafficking and weapons smuggling charges. The announcement was made by President Daniel Noboa via social media on Wednesday.

Macias, who was serving a 34-year sentence for drug trafficking and murder, escaped from a Guayaquil prison in January 2024, just before he was scheduled to be transferred to a maximum-security facility. His escape triggered widespread unrest, including riots, bombings, kidnappings, the assassination of a prosecutor, and an armed attack on a television network. These events prompted President Noboa to declare a 60-day state of emergency and classify Los Choneros and other gangs as “terrorist groups.”

President Noboa, who previously offered a $1 million reward for information leading to Macias’s capture, praised the police and military involved in the operation. “My recognition to our police and military who participated in this operation. More will fall, we will reclaim the country. No truce,” Noboa stated. He also credited recently passed laws for aiding in the capture.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury had previously sanctioned Macias and Los Choneros in February 2024 for drug trafficking and instigating violence across Ecuador. Ecuador, once a peaceful nation, has become a focal point for criminal organizations due to its proximity to Peru and Colombia, major cocaine producers. The escalating violence stems from competition between local gangs supported by international criminal syndicates.

Read More