Powerful Ecuadorian Drug Lord 'Fito' Extradited to the U.S.

Fito's extradition marks a significant victory in the fight against organized crime, as he is linked to a surge in violence and drug trafficking across Ecuador.

Adolfo Macías Villamar, infamously known as "Fito," has been extradited to the United States to confront charges related to drug and arms trafficking. The leader of the notorious Los Choneros gang was recaptured in June after evading authorities for over a year; he had escaped from a high-security prison where he was serving a 34-year sentence for various crimes. His legal representative has confirmed that Fito will appear in a federal court in Brooklyn on Monday, where he is expected to plead not guilty to international trafficking charges.

Under his leadership, the Los Choneros gang has been linked to major criminal syndicates in Mexico and the Balkans and is suspected of orchestrating the assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio in 2023. The violent influence of the gang has transformed Ecuador from a peaceful tourist destination into a hub plagued by extreme violence, contributing to one of the highest murder rates in Latin America.

Around 70% of the world’s cocaine traverses Ecuador's ports, strategically located between Colombia and Peru, the two largest cocaine producers globally. Following his recapture in June, police discovered Fito hiding in an underground bunker beneath a luxury residence in Manta. He was subsequently moved to La Roca, a maximum-security facility.

Ecuador's President Daniel Noboa hailed the capture and stated that Fito’s extradition was a key step in combating the country’s escalating crime levels. On Sunday, the country’s prison authority confirmed that he had been transferred to U.S. custody.

Fito's lawyer, Alexei Schacht, confirmed their intention to plead not guilty at the upcoming court hearing, after which he will be placed in a U.S. prison to be determined later. This development follows a referendum where Ecuadorians endorsed the extradition of their citizens, as President Noboa vows to escalate measures against the burgeoning criminal activities within the nation. Earlier this year, he appealed to U.S., European, and Brazilian military support in his campaign against criminal gangs, emphasizing a united front in the struggle for security.