Now Reading: Ecuador hands over alias Fito to U.S.: end of a criminal era
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Ecuador hands over alias Fito to U.S.: end of a criminal era
Los Choneros leader Adolfo Macias Villamar, known as "Fito", was finally extradited to the United States to face federal drug trafficking and arms trafficking charges.
After an extensive criminal career marked by spectacular escapes, prison violence and links to international organized crime, the Ecuadorian government extradited one of the country's most feared criminals on July 20.
A high-profile operation from The Rock to New York City
The transfer was carried out from the maximum security prison La Roca, in Guayaquil, to the José Joaquín de Olmedo airport, under special arrangements that included the Armed Forces and the National Police. A U.S. Department of Justice plane left with Macías on board for Long Island, New York, where it landed on the night of July 21.
The National Court of Justice had authorized the process following the voluntary acceptance of Macías himself, who appeared at a telematic hearing on July 11.
Who is alias Fito
Born in Manabí in 1979, "Fito" rose through the criminal ranks from his beginnings in Los Choneros, a criminal organization with a strong presence in drug trafficking, contract killings and extortion. After the murder of his predecessor "Rasquiña" in 2020, he assumed absolute leadership of the gang.
From prison, he operated with high levels of impunity and maintained control of criminal activities, even after his escape from the Penitenciaría del Litoral in January 2024. This escape triggered a national security crisis and led the government to declare an "internal armed conflict".
535 days on the run
After more than a year and a half in hiding, he was recaptured on June 25, 2025 in a subway bunker in Manta, during a military intelligence operation. Since then, he was relocated to La Roca and kept under strict surveillance until his extradition.
U.S. Charges and Brooklyn Trial
Macias will face seven federal charges before a court in the Eastern District of New York, where he is accused of conspiracy to distribute cocaine on a large scale, arms trafficking and collaboration with organizations such as the Sinaloa Cartel. The United States has guaranteed that he will not face the death penalty or life imprisonment without review, as required by the bilateral treaty.
An unprecedented case
The delivery of alias Fito represents the first extradition of an Ecuadorian citizen to the U.S. since the 2023 constitutional amendment that allowed extraditions for felonies. He is expected to appear today in federal court in Brooklyn.
