Latest news with #AdolfoMacias
Qatar Tribune
6 hours ago
- Politics
- Qatar Tribune
Ecuador's biggest drug lord ‘Fito' extradited to US
The Ecuadoran government on Sunday extradited notorious drug trafficker Adolfo Macias, alias 'Fito,' to the United States, a month after he was recaptured following a 2024 escape from a maximum security penitentiary, the country's prison authority said. The flight transporting Macias landed in New York state on Sunday night, according to the Flightradar tracking site. The US Attorney's Office filed charges in April against Macias, the head of the 'Los Choneros' gang, on suspicion of cocaine distribution, conspiracy and firearms violations, including weapons smuggling. A letter filed by the US Department of Justice on Sunday said Macias was due to appear in a federal court on Monday 'for an arraignment on the Superseding Indictment in this case.' The drug lord on Sunday was removed from custody at a maximum security prison in Ecuador's southwest 'for the purposes that correspond to the extradition process,' Ecuador's prison authority SNAI said in a statement to reporters. Macias, a former taxi driver turned crime boss, agreed in a Quito court last week to be extradited to the United States to face the charges. He is the first Ecuadoran extradited by his country since a new measure was written into law last year, after a referendum in which President Daniel Noboa sought the approval of moves to boost his war on criminal gangs. 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 with ties to Mexican and Colombian cartels vie for control. Soon after Macias escaped from prison in January 2024, Noboa declared Ecuador to be in a state of 'internal armed conflict' and ordered the military and tanks into the streets to 'neutralize' the gangs. (Agencies)Drug trafficker Adolfo Macias (C), alias Fito, was taken to an air base in Guayaquil, Ecuador, on June 25, 2025.
NZ Herald
7 hours ago
- NZ Herald
Ecuador's biggest drug lord ‘Fito' pleads not guilty in US
Notorious Ecuadoran drug trafficker Adolfo Macias, alias 'Fito', has pleaded not guilty to narcotics charges in a US court, a month after he was recaptured following a 2024 escape from a maximum security penitentiary. The leader of the Los Choneros gang denied seven charges, including drug trafficking and arms trafficking,
Toronto Sun
14 hours ago
- Toronto Sun
Ecuador's biggest drug lord 'Fito' extradited to U.S.
The head of the Los Choneros gang is on suspicion of cocaine distribution, conspiracy and firearms violations, including weapons smuggling. Drug trafficker Adolfo Macias (C), alias Fito, was taken to an air base in Guayaquil, Ecuador, on June 25, 2025, after his recapture in Manta, Manabi Province. Photo by MARCOS PIN / AFP QUITO — The Ecuadoran government on Sunday extradited notorious drug trafficker Adolfo Macias, alias 'Fito,' to the United States, a month after he was recaptured following a 2024 escape from a maximum security penitentiary, the country's prison authority said. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The US Attorney's Office filed charges in April against Macias, the head of the 'Los Choneros' gang, on suspicion of cocaine distribution, conspiracy and firearms violations, including weapons smuggling. The drug lord on Sunday was removed from custody at a maximum security prison in Ecuador's southwest 'for the purposes that correspond to the extradition process,' Ecuador's prison authority SNAI said in a statement to reporters. Macias, a former taxi driver turned crime boss, agreed in a Quito court last week to be extradited to the United States to face the charges. He is the first Ecuadoran extradited by his country since a new measure was written into law last year, after a referendum in which President Daniel Noboa sought the approval of moves to boost his war on criminal gangs. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 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 with ties to Mexican and Colombian cartels vie for control. Soon after Macias escaped from prison in January 2024, Noboa declared Ecuador to be in a state of 'internal armed conflict' and ordered the military and tanks into the streets to 'neutralize' the gangs. The move has been criticized by human rights organizations. Macias's Los Choneros has ties to Mexico's Sinaloa cartel, Colombia's Gulf Clan — the world's largest cocaine exporter — and Balkan mafias, according to the Ecuadorian Organized Crime Observatory. The crime boss' escape from prison prompted widespread violence and a massive military and police recapture operation, including government 'wanted' posters offering $1 million for information leading to his arrest. On June 25, Macias was found hiding in a bunker concealed under floor tiles in a luxury home in the fishing port of Manta, the center of operations for Los Choneros. Noboa declared he would be extradited, 'the sooner the better.' 'We will gladly send him and let him answer to the North American law,' Noboa told CNN at the time. More than 70 percent of all cocaine produced in the world now passes through Ecuador's ports, according to government data. In 2024, the country seized a record 294 tons of drugs, mainly cocaine. Toronto & GTA Canada Football Editorial Cartoons Uncategorized
Sinar Daily
a day ago
- Sinar Daily
Ecuador's biggest drug lord 'Fito' extradited to US
The flight transporting Macias landed in New York state on Sunday night, according to the Flightradar tracking site. 21 Jul 2025 01:19pm Handout picture released by the Ecuadorean Prison Authority SNAI shows drug trafficker Adolfo Macias being escorted out of La Roca prison to be extradited to US in Guayaquil on July 20, 2025. The Ecuadoran government on July 20, 2025, extradited Macias, alias "Fito," to the US, a month after he was recaptured following a 2024 escape from a maximum security penitentiary, the country's prison authority said. (Photo by Handout / SNAI / AFP) QUITO - The Ecuadoran government on Sunday extradited notorious drug trafficker Adolfo Macias, alias "Fito," to the United States, a month after he was recaptured following a 2024 escape from a maximum security penitentiary, the country's prison authority said. The flight transporting Macias landed in New York state on Sunday night, according to the Flightradar tracking site. The US Attorney's Office filed charges in April against Macias, the head of the "Los Choneros" gang, on suspicion of cocaine distribution, conspiracy and firearms violations, including weapons smuggling. A letter filed by the US Department of Justice on Sunday said Macias was due to appear in a federal court on Monday "for an arraignment on the Superseding Indictment in this case." The drug lord on Sunday was removed from custody at a maximum security prison in Ecuador's southwest "for the purposes that correspond to the extradition process," Ecuador's prison authority SNAI said in a statement to reporters. Macias, a former taxi driver turned crime boss, agreed in a Quito court last week to be extradited to the United States to face the charges. He is the first Ecuadoran extradited by his country since a new measure was written into law last year, after a referendum in which President Daniel Noboa sought the approval of moves to boost his war on criminal gangs. 'Sooner the better' 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 with ties to Mexican and Colombian cartels vie for control. Soon after Macias escaped from prison in January 2024, Noboa declared Ecuador to be in a state of "internal armed conflict" and ordered the military and tanks into the streets to "neutralize" the gangs. The move has been criticized by human rights organizations. Macias's Los Choneros has ties to Mexico's Sinaloa cartel, Colombia's Gulf Clan -- the world's largest cocaine exporter -- and Balkan mafias, according to the Ecuadorian Organized Crime Observatory. The crime boss' escape from prison prompted widespread violence and a massive military and police recapture operation, including government "wanted" posters offering $1 million for information leading to his arrest. On June 25, Macias was found hiding in a bunker concealed under floor tiles in a luxury home in the fishing port of Manta, the center of operations for Los Choneros. Noboa declared he would be extradited, "the sooner the better." "We will gladly send him and let him answer to the North American law," Noboa told CNN at the time. More than 70 percent of all cocaine produced in the world now passes through Ecuador's ports, according to government data. In 2024, the country seized a record 294 tons of drugs, mainly cocaine. - AFP
France 24
a day ago
- Politics
- France 24
Ecuador extradites notorious drug lord ‘Fito' to US weeks after recapture
The Ecuadoran government on Sunday extradited notorious drug trafficker Adolfo Macias, alias "Fito", to the United States, a month after he was recaptured following a 2024 escape from a maximum security penitentiary, the country's prison authority said. The flight transporting Macias landed in New York state on Sunday night, according to the Flightradar tracking site. The US Attorney's Office filed charges in April against Macias, the head of the "Los Choneros" gang, on suspicion of cocaine distribution, conspiracy and firearms violations, including weapons smuggling. A letter filed by the US Department of Justice on Sunday said Macias was due to appear in a federal court on Monday "for an arraignment on the Superseding Indictment in this case." The drug lord on Sunday was removed from custody at a maximum security prison in Ecuador 's southwest "for the purposes that correspond to the extradition process", Ecuador's prison authority SNAI said in a statement to reporters. Macias, a former taxi driver turned crime boss, agreed in a Quito court last week to be extradited to the United States to face the charges. He is the first Ecuadoran extradited by his country since a new measure was written into law last year, after a referendum in which President Daniel Noboa sought the approval of moves to boost his war on criminal gangs. 'Sooner the better' 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 with ties to Mexican and Colombian cartels vie for control. Soon after Macias escaped from prison in January 2024, Noboa declared Ecuador to be in a state of "internal armed conflict" and ordered the military and tanks into the streets to "neutralize" the gangs. The move has been criticised by human rights organisations. Macias's Los Choneros has ties to Mexico 's Sinaloa cartel, Colombia's Gulf Clan -- the world's largest cocaine exporter – and Balkan mafias, according to the Ecuadorian Organized Crime Observatory. The crime boss' escape from prison prompted widespread violence and a massive military and police recapture operation, including government "wanted" posters offering $1 million for information leading to his arrest. On June 25, Macias was found hiding in a bunker concealed under floor tiles in a luxury home in the fishing port of Manta, the centre of operations for Los Choneros. Noboa declared he would be extradited, "the sooner the better". "We will gladly send him and let him answer to the North American law," Noboa told CNN at the time. More than 70 percent of all cocaine produced in the world now passes through Ecuador's ports, according to government data. In 2024, the country seized a record 294 tons of drugs, mainly cocaine.
