Latest news with #Macias
New Straits Times
13 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Ecuador's 'Fito': From taxi driver to drug lord to an American jail
FORMER mechanic and taxi driver Adolfo Macias rose from a life of petty crime to the top of Ecuador's drug gang hierarchy, using extreme violence to try and submit an entire country to his will. His reign of terror has seemingly come to an end, however, as the 45-year-old head of Ecuador's "Los Choneros" gang pleaded "not guilty" to drug and weapons charges in a New York court Monday. In January 2024, Macias – alias "Fito" – made international headlines when he escaped from a prison in Ecuador's port city of Guayaquil – a hub for drug exports. He had been serving a 34-year sentence for weapons possession, narcotics trafficking, organised crime and murder. Jail did little to check Macias's ambitions: he earned his law degree behind bars and continued pulling the strings of the criminal underworld. Videos have emerged of him holding wild prison parties, some with fireworks. In one recording, a mariachi band and the drug lord's daughter perform a narco-glorifying ballad in the prison yard while he laughingly strokes a fighting cock. Fito exercised "significant internal control over the prison," the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) noted in a 2022 report following a meeting with the gang leader. His escape prompted the government to deploy the military, to the anger of Los Choneros, which unleashed a wave of violence in response. The gang detonated car bombs, held prison guards hostage and stormed a television station during a live broadcast in several days of running battles that prompted President Daniel Noboa to declare a "state of internal armed conflict." In June this year, a massive military and police operation dragged a bedraggled Fito from a bunker concealed under floor tiles in a luxury home in the fishing port of Manta, where he was born. No shots were fired, and the government was quick to release photos of the overweight, dishevelled Macias appearing rather less dangerous than his deadly reputation. On Sunday, he was put on a New York-bound plane in Guayaquil wearing shorts, a bulletproof vest and helmet, and on Monday he appeared in court. He was smiling. Macias became leader of Los Choneros in 2020, at a time when it was transitioning away from petty crime and establishing links with the big-league Colombian and Mexican drug cartels. "The defendant served for years as the principal leader of Los Choneros, a notoriously violent transnational criminal organization, and was a ruthless and infamous drug and firearms trafficker," US attorney Joseph Nocella said in a statement ahead of Monday's hearing. "The defendant and his co-conspirators flooded the United States and other countries with drugs and used extreme measures of violence in their quest for power and control," he added. Macias has also been linked to the assassination of presidential candidate and anti-corruption crusader Fernando Villavicencio at a political rally in 2023. Villavicencio had accused Los Choneros of threatening his life. The gang is one of dozens blamed for bringing bloodshed to Ecuador, once one of the world's safest nations, but now one of its deadliest. The country is wedged between the world's top two cocaine exporters – Colombia and Peru – and more than 70 percent of all worldwide production now passes through Ecuador's ports, according to government data. Under Macias's leadership, Los Choneros "have leveraged their connections and sway... to become a key link in the transnational cocaine supply chain," according to an analysis by the InSight Crime think-tank. It said the gang oversees the arrival of cocaine shipments from Colombia and uses a fleet of speedboats to send it on to Central America and Mexico, from where it is shipped to consumer markets in North America and Europe. "With or without Fito, Ecuador will continue to be a top cocaine transit nation," said the NGO. Macias had also escaped prison in 2013, but managed to elude authorities for only three months at the time. On Sunday, he became the first Ecuadoran extradited by his country since the measure was written into law last year, after a referendum in which Noboa sought the approval of measures to boost his war on criminal gangs.
Qatar Tribune
2 days 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.
News18
2 days ago
- Politics
- News18
Notorious Ecuadoran Drug Trafficker Adolfo Macias Pleads Not Guilty In US Court
Last Updated: The leader of the Los Choneros gang delivered his 'not guilty' plea in a federal court in Brooklyn through his lawyer and with the help of an interpreter, AFP reported. Notorious Ecuadoran drug trafficker Adolfo Macias has pleaded not guilty to narcotics charges in a court in the United States on Monday, nearly a month after he was arrested again after he escaped from a maximum security penitentiary in 2024. The leader of the Los Choneros gang delivered his 'not guilty" plea in a federal court in Brooklyn through his lawyer and with the help of an interpreter, AFP reported. The man denied seven charges, which included drug trafficking and arms trafficking – which is punishable by 20 years to life imprisonment. 'As alleged, the defendant served for years as the principal leader of Los Choneros, a notoriously violent transnational criminal organization, and was a ruthless and infamous drug and firearms trafficker," US attorney Joseph Nocella said in a statement ahead of hearing on Monday. 'The defendant and his co-conspirators flooded the United States and other countries with drugs and used extreme measures of violence in their quest for power and control." In April, the US Attorney's Office filed charges against Macias for allegedly being involved in cocaine trafficking, conspiracy, and gun-related crimes, including smuggling weapons. The flight carrying Macias from Ecuador arrived in New York state late Sunday. Last week, Macias—who was once a taxi driver but later became a crime leader—agreed in a court in Quito to be sent to the US to face these charges. Macias is the first person from Ecuador to be extradited under a new law passed last year. The law was approved after a public vote, where President Daniel Noboa asked citizens to support tougher action against criminal gangs. Ecuador, once a peaceful country located between Colombia and Peru—the world's top cocaine producers—has seen a rise in violence as rival gangs linked to Mexican and Colombian cartels fight for power. In January 2024, after Macias escaped from prison, President Noboa declared a state of 'internal armed conflict". He sent the military and tanks into the streets to take down the gangs. Macias's escape led to a wave of violence and a large operation by police and the military to catch him. The government even offered a $1 million reward for information that would lead to his capture. On June 25, Macias was found hiding in a bunker under floor tiles in a luxury house in Manta, a port city known as the base of his gang, Los Choneros. President Noboa said Macias should be extradited 'the sooner the better." (With AFP inputs) view comments First Published: July 21, 2025, 23:39 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Eyewitness News
2 days ago
- Politics
- Eyewitness News
Ecuador's biggest drug lord 'Fito' pleads not guilty in US
NEW YORK - Notorious Ecuadoran drug trafficker Adolfo Macias, alias "Fito," pleaded not guilty to narcotics charges in a US court Monday, a month after he was recaptured following a 2024 escape from a maximum security penitentiary. The leader of the Los Choneros gang delivered his "not guilty" plea in a Brooklyn federal court through his lawyer and with the help of an interpreter, an AFP correspondent saw. He denied seven charges, including drug trafficking and arms trafficking, punishable by 20 years to life imprisonment. "As alleged, the defendant served for years as the principal leader of Los Choneros, a notoriously violent transnational criminal organization, and was a ruthless and infamous drug and firearms trafficker," US attorney Joseph Nocella said in a statement ahead of Monday's hearing. "The defendant and his co-conspirators flooded the United States and other countries with drugs and used extreme measures of violence in their quest for power and control." The US Attorney's Office filed charges in April against Macias on suspicion of cocaine distribution, conspiracy and firearms violations, including weapons smuggling. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on X that the defendant "will soon face justice in the US for leading a vicious transnational criminal organization." The flight transporting Macias from Ecuador landed in New York state late Sunday. The former taxi driver turned crime boss agreed in a Quito court last week to be extradited to the United States to face the charges. GANG WARFARE Macias 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 approval to intensify 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. The move was criticized by human rights organizations. 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. Macias's 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 25 June, 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.
NDTV
2 days ago
- Politics
- NDTV
Ecuador's Biggest Drug Lord 'Fito', Recaptured After Prison Escape, Sent 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. '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.
