José Adolfo Macías Villamar
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José Adolfo Macías Villamar | |
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| Born | 30 September 1979 |
| Other names | Fito |
| Occupation | Drug trafficker • Current leader of Los Choneros cartel |
| Known for | Initiating the 2024 conflict in Ecuador |
José Adolfo Macías Villamar (born 30 September 1979),[1] also known by the alias Fito, is an Ecuadorian drug lord and the current leader of Los Choneros cartel. He assumed leadership in 2020 following the murder of his predecessor Jorge Luis Zambrano. Since then the cartel is accused of turning Ecuador from "a tourist haven to a country with one of the highest murder rates in the region".[2] He had been incarcerated since 2011, having previously escaped prison and lived as a fugitive in 2013.[3] In January 2024, he escaped from prison again, prompting a state of emergency to be called in Ecuador for sixty days and initiating the 2024 conflict in Ecuador.[4] He was caught on 25 June 2025 and awaits extradition to the United States.[5]
Criminal career
[edit]Macías was first arrested in 2000 for committing robbery.[citation needed]
In 2011, he was arrested for drug trafficking and organized crime and was imprisoned in La Roca Prison. On 11 February 2013, he escaped along with 17 other members of Los Choneros. To carry out the escape, they immobilized fourteen prison guards and fled by boats on the Daule River.[citation needed] In May 2013, they were recaptured while at their own residence.[3]
When Jorge Luis Zambrano, the previous leader of Los Choneros, was murdered in December 2020, Macías and Junior Roldán became the successors to the criminal syndicate. Three years later, Roldán was murdered. Leaving Macías as the sole leader of Los Choneros. When Macías assumed leadership, many accused him of Zambrano's death to gain power in prison.[citation needed] This caused a rupture in Los Choneros, as some claimed Zambrano would never have a successor.[6]
He was serving a sentence of thirty-four years in the Litoral Penitentiary for organized crime, drug trafficking, and murders.[7] He escaped from prison in January 2024, leading the government to declare a state of emergency. In response, criminal gangs launched several attacks against civilians and the police.[8] Before his escape, he exercised "significant internal control of the prison" where he was incarcerated. Fito and Junior Roldán, another leader of 'Los Choneros' who was killed in 2023 in Colombia, had "differentiated and preferential treatment by the authorities".[9]
On April 2, 2025, a New York court indicted José Adolfo Macías Villamar on seven counts of drug trafficking, conspiracy, weapons trafficking, and illegal distribution of drugs in the United States.[10] On 26 June, 2025, it was reported he was caught in an underground bunker in the city of Manta.[11][2]
Kidnapping of his daughter
[edit]On 17 November 2021, Macías's daughter was allegedly kidnapped along with her cousin. Later, on November 21, she was released and reported that the kidnapper did not harm or abuse them. It was revealed that the young women were kidnapped in the El Aromo area.[12]
Assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio
[edit]Macías is the leading suspect and mastermind behind the assassination of Fernando Villavicencio. Several weeks before the assassination Villavicencio mentioned threats he got from Los Choneros, if he keeps talking about them in his campaugne.[13] It is claimed Fito ordered the assassination from prison and on 9 August 2023 he was assassinated.[14] The killers were part of Los Lobos that is related to Los Choneros.[15][16]
References
[edit]- ^ Líder de Los Choneros celebró su cumpleaños en la cárce, Expresso. 01.10.2022
- ^ a b "Ecuador's most wanted drug lord 'Fito' captured in 'underground bunker'". www.bbc.com. 26 June 2025. Retrieved 26 June 2025.
- ^ a b "Ecuador's 'Most Wanted' Criminal Has Disappeared From Prison". TIME. 8 January 2024. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
- ^ "Hooded gunmen burst onto live TV set in Ecuador after drug lord escape triggers state of emergency". Sky News. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
- ^ Alvarado, Ana María Cañizares, Abel (25 June 2025). "Drug kingpin 'Fito,' Ecuador's most wanted man, has been captured, says Ecuador's president". CNN. Retrieved 26 June 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Guaman, Jennifer (8 January 2024). "¿Quién es 'Fito', el líder de Los Choneros que desapareció de su celda en la cárcel Regional de Guayas?". Qué Noticias (in Spanish). Retrieved 11 January 2024.
- ^ "Alias 'Fito', cabecilla de Los Choneros, cumple sentencia de 34 años de cárcel". elcomercio.com. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
- ^ "Adolfo Macías Villamar: Curfew in Ecuador after infamous gang leader 'Fito' vanishes from cell". BBC News. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
- ^ "Los grupos criminales a los que Ecuador declaró guerra: ¿nexos con bandas colombianas?". eltiempo.com. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
- ^ "Fugitive leader of violent Ecuadorian drug gang is indicted in New York City". apnews.com. Retrieved 2 April 2025.
- ^ [1]
- ^ "La hija de alias 'Fito' contó detalles de los cuatro días de su secuestro". eluniverso.com. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
- ^ Soriano, Rodrigo (10 August 2023). "Before assassination, Fernando Villavicencio denounced threats from criminal group linked to Sinaloa Cartel". EL PAÍS English. Retrieved 26 June 2025.
- ^ "An Ecuadorian presidential candidate is assassinated". The Economist. ISSN 0013-0613. Retrieved 26 June 2025.
- ^ Agencia AFP (1 August 2023). "Ecuador: Candidato presidencial Fernando Villavicencio denuncia amenazas en su contra". El Comercio (in Spanish). ISSN 1605-3052. Retrieved 26 June 2025.
- ^ "Candidate in Ecuador's presidential election Fernando Villavicencio shot dead". 10 August 2023. Retrieved 26 June 2025.
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