Ecuadorian authorities have extradited José Adolfo “Fito” Macías Villamar, the infamous leader of Los Choneros, to the United States. Macías, 45, had been a fugitive since escaping from a high-security prison in Guayaquil last year. The Drug Lord was recaptured in late June on Ecuador’s central coast after nearly 18 months on the run.
Macías is expected to appear before a Brooklyn federal court on Monday, where his attorney, Alexei Schacht, confirmed he will plead not guilty to international charges of drug and weapons trafficking. The US Justice Department had issued an indictment in April 2025, charging Macías with trafficking thousands of pounds of cocaine into the United States in collaboration with Mexican cartels.
The extradition marks a historic moment in Ecuador’s fight against transnational organized crime, with President Daniel Noboa vowing to crack down on rising crime. “We will gladly send him and let him answer to the North American law,” Noboa told CNN at the time of Macías’s recapture. Macías’s Los Choneros gang has ties to Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel, Colombia’s Gulf Clan, and Balkan mafias, and is blamed for Ecuador’s transformation from a tourist haven to a country with one of the highest murder rates in the region.
According to government data, more than 70% of all cocaine produced in the world now passes through Ecuador’s ports. In 2024, the country seized a record 294 tons of drugs, mainly cocaine. Macías cultivated a cult status among fellow gang members and the public, releasing videos and throwing parties in prison, where he had access to luxuries like liquor and cockfighting matches.
The US Attorney’s Office filed charges against Macías on suspicion of cocaine distribution, conspiracy, and firearms violations, including weapons smuggling. His 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.
Macías’s extradition signals a willingness by the Noboa administration to aggressively confront the challenge of transnational narco-trafficking networks. However, experts warn that a purely security-focused approach is unlikely to be sustainable in the long run, and that addressing the root causes of crime, strengthening institutions, and fostering regional cooperation are essential for achieving lasting stability.