Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa has confirmed the recapture of the country’s most-wanted fugitive, gang leader José Adolfo Macías Villamar, known as ‘Fito’, more than a year after his dramatic prison escape triggered a surge of deadly violence.
Fito, the powerful head of the Los Choneros drug gang, was apprehended by special military forces during an operation in the coastal city of Manta, a known stronghold for the gang. His arrest marks the culmination of a months-long manhunt that gripped Ecuador and drew international attention.
“We have done our part to proceed with Fito’s extradition to the United States; we are awaiting their response,” President Noboa said on X (formerly Twitter), following the announcement of the fugitive’s capture.
Fito escaped from a high-security prison in Guayaquil in January 2024, just hours before he was scheduled to be transferred to a more secure facility. His disappearance led to a dramatic escalation in gang-related violence across the country. Over the course of several days, attacks by criminal groups linked to Los Choneros resulted in the deaths of at least 20 people and prompted President Noboa to declare a 60-day state of emergency in nearly a third of Ecuador’s provinces.
The fugitive’s recapture is seen as a major victory for Noboa’s administration, which has vowed to crack down on drug-related crime and restore public safety. The operation involved a coordinated effort between Ecuador’s army and national police, with Fito taken into custody without reported resistance.
Manta, a Pacific fishing port and one of Ecuador’s busiest commercial hubs, has increasingly become a focal point for narcotics trafficking and gang activity. The city has long been considered a stronghold for Los Choneros, whose influence has expanded alongside the country’s role as a transit point for cocaine shipments heading to North America and Europe.
U.S. federal prosecutors have indicted Fito in absentia on multiple charges, including seven counts of cocaine distribution, conspiracy, weapons smuggling, and firearms violations. Ecuador has formally requested his extradition to the United States, though no timetable has been confirmed.
The capture of Fito comes as Ecuador grapples with record levels of violence fueled by drug trafficking and organised crime. In recent years, criminal gangs have increasingly challenged state authority, infiltrated ports, and turned once-peaceful cities into battlegrounds.
President Noboa has pledged to continue aggressive counter-narcotics efforts and called on international allies to support Ecuador in its fight against transnational crime.
