Ecuador's Most-Wanted Gang Leader 'Fito' Captured
Ecuador's president announced Wednesday that the country's most-wanted fugitive, Los Choneros gang leader "Fito," had been recaptured over a year after his escape from prison triggered a wave of violence.
"We have done our part to proceed with Fito's extradition to the United States, we are awaiting their response," Daniel Noboa wrote on X.
Drug lord Jose Adolfo Macias Villamar, known as Fito, escaped custody in Ecuador in early 2024 and American prosecutors charged him, in absentia, with seven counts of cocaine distribution, conspiracy and firearms-related crimes, including weapons smuggling.
Macias Villamar's January 2024 escape resulted in a surge of gang-related violence in Ecuador that lasted days and left about 20 people dead.
Noboa declared a 60-day state of emergency in nearly a third of its provinces to quell the violence, but the drug lord was at-large until Wednesday's announcement.
The months-long manhunt ended with the president stating Fito was in the custody of special military forces fighting narcotics trafficking.
The army and police reported that he was captured during a 10-hour operation in Manta, a fishing port in western Ecuador considered a stronghold for his gang.
Fito's hideout evoked scenes from a movie thriller -- local media reported that officers lifted a trap door in floor tiles of a luxury home to discover the outlaw hiding in a bunker.
The US Embassy congratulated Quito on the arrest, posting in Spanish on its X account that Washington "supports Ecuador in its efforts to combat transnational crime for the security of the region."
Cartel terror campaign
Ecuador, once a peaceful haven between the world's two top cocaine exporters Colombia and Peru, has seen violence erupt in recent years as enemy gangs vie for control and establish ties to Mexican and Colombian cartels.
Macias Villamar is the leader of Los Choneros, the leading criminal gang in a country plagued by organized crime.
Gang wars largely played out inside the country's prisons, where Macias Villamar wielded immense control.
He had been held since 2011, serving a 34-year sentence for organized crime, drug trafficking and murder.
When he escaped, Macias Villamar was also considered a suspect in ordering the assassination of presidential candidate and anti-corruption crusader Fernando Villavicencio.
In the hours after the drug lord's escape, prison riots broke out and four police officers were taken hostage, where one was forced to read a threatening message to Noboa.
Armed men wearing balaclavas also took over a television station during a live broadcast, forcing the terrified crew to the ground and firing shots.
Soon after, Noboa announced the country was in a state of "internal armed conflict" and ordered the military and tanks into the streets to "neutralize" the gangs.
US prosecutors allege his gang worked with Mexico's Sinaloa cartel to control key drug trafficking routes between South America and the United States.
Ecuador's government had offered a $1 million reward for information leading to his capture.
If convicted, Fito faces life in prison.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Nahar Net
9 hours ago
- Nahar Net
NATO to coordinate regular and large-scale arm deliveries to Ukraine
by Naharnet Newsdesk 7 hours NATO started coordinating regular deliveries of large weapons packages to Ukraine after the Netherlands said it would provide air defense equipment, ammunition and other military aid worth 500 million euros ($578 million), most bought from the U.S. Two deliveries are expected this month. The equipment that will be provided is based on Ukraine's priority needs on the battlefield. NATO allies then locate the weapons and ammunition and send them on. "Packages will be prepared rapidly and issued on a regular basis," NATO said late Monday Air defense systems are in greatest need. The United Nations has said that Russia's relentless pounding of urban areas behind the front line has killed more than 12,000 Ukrainian civilians. Russia's bigger army is also making slow but costly progress along the 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line. Currently, it is waging an operation to take the eastern city of Pokrovsk, a logistical hub whose fall could allow it to drive deeper into Ukraine. European allies and Canada are buying most of the equipment they plan to send from the United States, which has greater stocks of ready military materiel, as well as more effective weapons. The Trump administration is not giving any arms to Ukraine. The new deliveries will come on top of other pledges of military equipment. The Kiel Institute, which tracks support to Ukraine, estimates that as of June, European countries had provided 72 billion euros ($83 billion) worth of military aid since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, compared to $65 billion in U.S. aid. Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans said that "American air defense systems and munitions, in particular, are crucial for Ukraine to defend itself." Announcing the deliveries Monday, he said Russia's attacks are "pure terror, intended to break Ukraine." Germany said Friday that it will deliver two more Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine in the coming days. It agreed to the move after securing assurances that the U.S. will prioritize the delivery of new Patriots to Germany to backfill its stocks. These weapon systems are only made in the U.S.
L'Orient-Le Jour
14 hours ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Cabinet meeting: Hezbollah supporters mobilize as calls grow for disarmament
BEIRUT — Ahead of Tuesday's 3 p.m. Cabinet meeting on Hezbollah disarmament and following Monday night protests by Hezbollah supporters in Beirut, several politicians stressed the urgent need to disarm Hezbollah after the recent war with Israel. Nawaf Salam's government is expected to meet today at the Baabda Palace to discuss the handover of Hezbollah's arsenal. The party does not reject the principle of a debate on the state's monopoly on weapons, but conditions any disarmament on a prior Israeli withdrawal and the end of cease-fire violations, as well as the release of prisoners and the launch of reconstruction efforts after the recent war. In a video published Monday night, Hezbollah asserted that resistance was "the only choice and support for the Lebanese Army." Political contacts continued Monday night in an effort to reach a formula the government might adopt Tuesday. According to our information, the party made its participation conditional on prior knowledge of the decisions that would result from the meeting. 'Labayka Nasrallah' Protesting the Cabinet meeting on the party's disarmament, Hezbollah supporters paraded on motorcycles Monday night in several neighborhoods of Beirut's southern suburbs. Videos posted on social media show dozens of motorcyclists waving the party's yellow flags as they drove through neighborhoods in the southern suburbs, chanting "Labayka Nasrallah" (at your command, Nasrallah), in reference to the former leader of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, assassinated by an Israeli strike on Sept. 27, 2024. Reacting to this display, Kataeb MP Nadim Gemayel called Monday night "on the security services to fulfill their responsibilities as soon as possible." "If the security services do nothing against these intimidation attempts before tomorrow's session, no one will stand by idly," he warned, cautioning against confrontations between Hezbollah supporters and their opponents. According to information reported on social media, security services blocked access to Salam's residence Monday night. Hezbollah also reportedly prepared several trucks loaded with dirt and debris to block roads if necessary Tuesday, according to local media. In recent days, those close to Hezbollah have not hesitated to threaten a new show of force, similar to that of May 7, 2008. At the time, Fouad Siniora's government tried to break Hezbollah's security grip, to which the party responded by storming West Beirut and the Mountain. 'Collusion with the Israeli-American plan' In statements Monday night to NBN, Hezbollah MP Ali Mokdad said that the Cabinet meeting "should not have taken place" and that those calling for the party's disarmament "are in collusion with the Israeli-American plan." "By tomorrow morning, we will make a decision based on the response given to Parliament Speaker Nabih Berry and Hezbollah." Sunni tribes, for their part, on Monday expressed support for the authorities and the Lebanese Army against Hezbollah. "We call for respect for the Lebanese Constitution and the Taif agreements (...) and for ensuring a monopoly of arms in the hands of the army," these tribes said in a statement. In addition, a call for a demonstration Tuesday at 3 p.m. at Riad al-Solh Square "in support of President Aoun's call for a monopoly on arms in the hands of the army" was launched by the "Free Lebanese" group. 'Take into account only Lebanon's interests' A few hours before the government session, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said that "we will take into account only Lebanon's interests and will ensure to do everything that does not threaten its security." According to the daily an-Nahar, Berri also said he was "in favor" of the participation of Amal and Hezbollah ministers in Cabinet and "opposed [to its] boycott." Several political figures have emphasized the necessity of the state's monopoly on weapons. Justice Minister Adel Nassar said in an interview with MTV that the government "will demand a timetable for the handover of arms," saying that "it is unacceptable for Hezbollah to drag the Lebanese people with it toward suicide." MP Paula Yacoubian, for her part, said that "returning to the fold of institutions is no longer a political luxury, but a condition for the nation's survival." "No legitimacy surpasses that of the state, and no weapon should prevail over its own," she added. Hezbollah MP Kassem Hachem told the news site al-Nashra that political contacts related to the session would continue up until the final moments before the Cabinet meeting, with the aim of reaching "a consensus position" that takes Lebanon's interests into account. The international community insists on the need for the country to begin the process of reclaiming the monopoly on arms and to develop a clear implementation plan with set deadlines. Israel, believes it has achieved victory and that Lebanon, like Hezbollah, is in a position of weakness after the strikes they suffered. This means, according to Tel Aviv, that Hezbollah must make the expected concessions and that Lebanon should commit to the proposed path.
Nahar Net
15 hours ago
- Nahar Net
NATO to coordinate regular and large-scale arm deliveries to Ukraine
NATO started coordinating regular deliveries of large weapons packages to Ukraine after the Netherlands said it would provide air defense equipment, ammunition and other military aid worth 500 million euros ($578 million), most bought from the U.S. Two deliveries are expected this month. The equipment that will be provided is based on Ukraine's priority needs on the battlefield. NATO allies then locate the weapons and ammunition and send them on. "Packages will be prepared rapidly and issued on a regular basis," NATO said late Monday Air defense systems are in greatest need. The United Nations has said that Russia's relentless pounding of urban areas behind the front line has killed more than 12,000 Ukrainian civilians. Russia's bigger army is also making slow but costly progress along the 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line. Currently, it is waging an operation to take the eastern city of Pokrovsk, a logistical hub whose fall could allow it to drive deeper into Ukraine. European allies and Canada are buying most of the equipment they plan to send from the United States, which has greater stocks of ready military materiel, as well as more effective weapons. The Trump administration is not giving any arms to Ukraine. The new deliveries will come on top of other pledges of military equipment. The Kiel Institute, which tracks support to Ukraine, estimates that as of June, European countries had provided 72 billion euros ($83 billion) worth of military aid since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, compared to $65 billion in U.S. aid. Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans said that "American air defense systems and munitions, in particular, are crucial for Ukraine to defend itself." Announcing the deliveries Monday, he said Russia's attacks are "pure terror, intended to break Ukraine." Germany said Friday that it will deliver two more Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine in the coming days. It agreed to the move after securing assurances that the U.S. will prioritize the delivery of new Patriots to Germany to backfill its stocks. These weapon systems are only made in the U.S.
