Ecuador drug lord 'Fito' extradited to US – DW – 07/21/2025

21-07-2025

Adolfo "Fito" Macias, the notorious Ecuadorian drug baron who escaped from jail in 2024 but was recaptured last month, has been extradited to the United States to face trial.
Notorious Ecuadorian drug trafficker Adolfo "Fito" Macias was extradited to the United States on Sunday where he has been indicted on charges of cocaine distribution, conspiracy and firearms violations, including weapons smuggling.
A photograph released by Ecuador's government agency responsible for prisons, the SNAI, showed Macias being guarded by several police officers at an undisclosed location, wearing a t-shirt, shorts, bulletproof vest and helmet.
In a statement to reporters, the SNAI said the 45-year-old was removed from custody at a maximum security prison in Ecuador's southwest "for the purposes that correspond to the extradition process."
He is due to appear before a federal court in Brooklyn, New York, on Monday. His lawyer, Alexei Schacht, told the Associated Press (AP) that his client "will plead not guilty." After that, he will be detained in a yet-to-be-determined location, Schacht added.
Macias' extradition comes one month after he was recaptured following a January 2024 escape from a maximum security penitentiary in the southwestern port city of Guayaquil, where he had been serving a 34-year sentence for drug trafficking, organized crime and murder.
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Following his escape, President Daniel Noboa declared Ecuador to be in a state of "internal armed conflict" and ordered the military into the streets in a move that was criticized by human rights organizations.
As part of a large-scale military and police search operation and amid widespread violence, the government produced "wanted" posters offering up to $1 million for information leading to Macias' arrest.
Last month, on June 25, he was found hiding in a bunker concealed under floor tiles in a luxury home in the fishing port of Manta, the home of his notorious "Los Choneros" gang.
"We will gladly send him and let him answer to the North American law," President Noboa told CNN at the time. "The sooner the better."
His extradition marks the first ever time that the Ecuadorian government has extradited one of its citizens to a foreign country.
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A former taxi driver turned crime boss, Macias has been in charge of "Los Choneros" since 2020.
According to the US indictment, the gang employs people to buy firearms and ammunition in the United States and smuggles them into Ecuador, while cocaine would flow in the opposite direction with the help of Mexican cartels.
Once a peaceful haven between the world's two top cocaine exporters Colombia and Peru, more than 70 percent of all cocaine produced worldwide now passes through Ecuador's ports, according to government data.
According to the Ecuadorian Organized Crime Observatory, "Los Choneros" maintains ties to Mexico's Sinaloa cartel, Colombia's Gulf Clan – the world's largest cocaine exporter – and various mafia organizations in the Balkans.
In 2024, Ecuadorian authorities seized a record 294 tons of drugs, mainly cocaine.
Despite, or perhaps as a result of, his criminal activities, Macias enjoys a cult status among fellow gang members across Ecuador, and even among parts of the public.
Before escaping from prison, he would throw lavish jail parties featuring alcohol and cockfighting matches. In 2023, he even released a video addressed to "the Ecuadorian people" while flanked by armed men.
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Germany: AfD-linked China espionage trial open in Dresden – DW – 08/05/2025

2 hours ago

Germany: AfD-linked China espionage trial open in Dresden – DW – 08/05/2025

A former aide to far-right AfD politician Maximilian Krah has gone on trial accused of spying for China since 2002. Prosecutors say the case reveals espionage targeting German political, economic, and military affairs. A court in the eastern city of Dresden began the trial of two people suspected of spying for China. One of the defendants, a former assistant to a lawmaker from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, is accused of passing on information to the Chinese since 2002. The former AfD aide, identified only as Jian G. under German privacy laws, is charged with providing information to Chinese intelligence for decades. The period includes a more recent time when he worked for Maximilian Krah — at the time a member of the European Parliament for the far-right populist party. Prosecutors in Dresden accuse Jian G. of passing on information on debates and decisions at the European Parliament, along with other information. He is suspected of illegally accessing more than 500 documents that the parliament, of which his boss Krah was a member between 2019 and 2025, had classified as "particularly sensitive." G., who was arrested in the eastern German city of Dresden in April 2024, is also suspected of gathering information on senior AfD figures including party leaders Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla. It is also possible that information collected by Jian G. includes sensitive details about the workings of the AfD itself, the revelation of which could prove an embarrassment to the party. However, Krah has told news magazine "Der Spiegel" that he never discussed certain internal problems with the defendant. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The second defendant, named only as Jaqi X., worked at a company that provided Leipzig airport with logistics services. She is accused of helping Jian G. access information on flights and passengers, especially to do with the transport of defense equipment. Krah himself is under separate investigation on suspicion of money laundering and corruption partly connected with firms linked to Jian G. He was also at the center of a scandal over remarks that seemed to downplay the seriousness of the crimes committed by the Nazis' notorious SS, but nonetheless currently sits as an AfD member of the German lower house, or Bundestag. At the start of his trial, Jian G. denied allegations of spying for China. His defense lawyer rejected the charges in court, saying G. had never agreed to pass on any information. Described as a committed employee, G. mainly worked on foreign trade, the lawyer said. Given his background and language skills, he was also responsible for managing relations with China and held talks in that context. The defense acknowledged that some of the people G. interacted with could have had ties to Chinese intelligence, but insisted there was no evidence of intentional cooperation Meanwhile, alleged accomplice Jaqi X. testified that she was unaware of any intelligence links between Jian G. and Chinese authorities. However, she admitted passing information to him because he worked in the European Parliament and was, in her words, committed to fostering strong ties between China and Germany through the AfD. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Federal prosecutors have described the espionage case as "particularly serious," citing extensive Chinese surveillance activities targeting Germany and the EU. "This case is exemplary of China's intelligence efforts concerning Germany's political, economic, and military affairs," said Federal Prosecutor Stephan Morweiser on the sidelines of the trial in Dresden. He said the spying extended from monitoring AfD leadership to tracking troop movements. The trial at Dresden's Higher Regional Court is expected to last through the end of September, with 13 days of hearings scheduled. While you're here: Every Tuesday, DW editors round up what is happening in German politics and society. You can sign up here for the weekly email newsletter Berlin Briefing.

Brazil's top court orders house arrest of Bolsonaro – DW – 08/05/2025

19 hours ago

Brazil's top court orders house arrest of Bolsonaro – DW – 08/05/2025

Brazil's Supreme Court ordered house arrest for former President Jair Bolsonaro, who is standing trial for allegedly plotting a coup. Brazil's Supreme Court on Monday ordered the house arrest ofJair Bolsonaro. The former president is standing trial for allegedly leading a coup attempt after losing the 2022 election. The court's Justice Alexandre de Moraes issued the order, saying in his decision that Bolsonaro had violated the precautionary measures imposed on him by posting content on his son's social media channels. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

Brazil's top court orders house arrest for Bolsonaro – DW – 08/05/2025