Ecuador's most-wanted drug lord found beneath trapdoor

Daily Mail​

7 hours ago

After a year on the run following a sensational prison escape, Ecuador's most wanted fugitive, Fito (pictured), was recaptured by cops - with the help of his three-year-old daughter. The ruthless gang leader's prison break triggered a wave of violence in the country, but now, he faces extradition to the US to face multiple felony charges.
His arrest came after his own daughter accidentally revealed his location, giving cops a chance to swoop in. Before his escape in January 2024, he had been held in prison, where he was serving a 34-year sentence for organised crime, drug trafficking, and murder. Real named Jose Adolfo Macias Vilamir, Fito has also been charged in absentia by American prosecutors with seven counts of cocaine distribution, conspiracy and firearms-related crimes, including weapons smuggling.
His breakout from an Ecuadorian prison resulted in a drastic surge of gang-related violence that lasted several days and left 20 people dead. The country's president, Daniel Noboa, declared a 60-day state of emergency in multiple provinces following the violence. Despite a months-long manhunt, he evaded capture until the president revealed on Wednesday that he had finally been apprehended.
He was discovered hiding in a kitchen bunker in Manta, his hometown. According to local media, officers stormed a luxury home and lifted a trap door to reveal his hiding spot. A month ago, several members of his family were arrested. Authorities also raided their businesses and confiscated many assets. The country's interior minister, John Reimberg, described the move as a "psychological operation".
Police ramped up their investigation when they noticed a municipal transit official had stopped showing up to work months ago. Trailing him led them to Fito's inner circle, according to a national police commander. It was established that the official often went to a plush three-storey building, the same one Fito was hiding in. The home came equipped with marble floors and walls, a huge swimming pool, a well-equipped gym, and a game room. There were brand new sofas still wrapped in plastic and TVs that were still in their boxes.
Heavily armed men infiltrated the home when Fito's daughter accidentally revealed his location. Surrounding streets in the neighbourhood were blocked off as cops conducted the 10-hour-long operation. In the detailed sting operation, drones were deployed to gain a better understanding of the compound. After an extensive search, Fito was discovered hunkered down in an air-conditioned bunker in the kitchen. Police brought in heavy machinery for excavation, forcing Fito to come out when he realised he could be crushed to death.
Describing the moment, Reimberg said: 'When this happened, Fito panicked. He opened the hatch where military and police personnel were located and left the hole.' Within minutes, he was on the ground with guns pointed at his head, as police forced him to repeat his name out loud. It's not the first time Fito had escaped from prison - he did so in 2013 but was captured after three months. Ecuador has seen a huge increase in gang related crimes in recent years.
As the leader of the Los Choneros gang, Fito was responsible for some of the gang's most gruesome antics. These includes car bombings, kidnappings, and many brutal murders. After he escaped from prison, Fito also became a suspect in the assasination of Fernando Villavicencio, a presidential hopeful who ran as an anti-corruption crusader. His jailbreak led to prison riots where four officers were taken hostage. Additionally, masked armed men stormed a television station during a live broadcast. According to US prosecutors, Fito's gang has close ties with Mexico's Sinola cartel and the two worked to control drug trafficking routes between South America and the US.
Officials in the States congratulated Ecuador on X for Fito's capture. A $1million cash prize was set aside for information that could lead to his arrest. President Noboa now says he is waiting for the US to make contact with him about Fito's extradition. If convicted, he could be sentenced to life in prison. Fito took control of Los Choneros after the gang's former boss Jose Luis Zambrano died in December 2020.
He is seen as a matyr by many in the prison system with murals of him painted on many jail walls. While locked up, the country's president criticised the privileges he enjoyed, including a socket to charge his phone. According to the the president, Fito also had an internet router outside his cell.