Ecuador’s most-wanted fugitive, José Adolfo Macías Villamar, alias “Fito,” the feared leader of the Los Choneros gang, has been recaptured, President Daniel Noboa announced Wednesday, ending a months-long manhunt that began after his dramatic prison escape in early 2024.
The arrest, which unfolded in the coastal city of Manta — long believed to be a Los Choneros stronghold — is being hailed as a major victory for Ecuador’s embattled security forces.
The operation reportedly lasted 10 hours and involved elite military and police units trained in counter-narcotics operations.
“We have done our part to proceed with Fito’s extradition to the United States, we are awaiting their response,” President Noboa posted on X (formerly Twitter), confirming the capture of the drug kingpin.
Fito had been on the run since January 2024, when he escaped from prison under mysterious circumstances.
His disappearance sparked an unprecedented wave of violence that left at least 20 people dead and led Noboa to declare a 60-day state of emergency across several provinces.
US prosecutors, who had charged Macías Villamar in absentia with seven counts including cocaine distribution, conspiracy, weapons trafficking, and links to the notorious Sinaloa cartel, welcomed the news.
The U.S. Embassy in Quito praised Ecuador’s efforts, stating: “Washington supports Ecuador in its fight against transnational crime for the security of the region.”
Dramatic Arrest in Manta
The arrest scene could have been lifted from a Hollywood thriller. According to local media, Fito was discovered hiding in a bunker beneath a trapdoor concealed under floor tiles inside a luxury residence.
The hidden compartment reportedly featured reinforced walls and supplies, a testament to the lengths he went to avoid capture.
The port city of Manta, where the arrest occurred, has long been a logistical hub for drug smuggling, and a key operational base for Los Choneros, Ecuador’s most powerful criminal syndicate.
From Prison Boss to Fugitive
Macias Villamar had been serving a 34-year sentence since 2011 for crimes including drug trafficking, organized crime, and murder. Even behind bars, he maintained a grip on Ecuador’s prison system, where gang warfare became routine and deadly.
At the time of his escape, he was also a key suspect in the assassination of anti-corruption presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio, who was gunned down in 2023 during the election campaign.
Fito’s escape was followed by riots in several prisons, the hostage-taking of police officers, and a shocking moment when armed men stormed a live television broadcast, holding journalists at gunpoint in a direct threat to state authority.
In response, President Noboa declared the country in a state of “internal armed conflict” and deployed military forces — including tanks — into the streets to suppress the spiraling gang violence.
An Escalating Narco Crisis
Ecuador, once regarded as a peaceful buffer between Colombia and Peru — the world’s two top cocaine producers — has in recent years become a battleground for rival gangs with international cartel ties.
The violence has exploded both inside prisons and on the streets, driven in part by alliances between local gangs like Los Choneros and Mexican cartels such as Sinaloa.
Macias Villamar is alleged to have played a central role in securing drug corridors between South America and North America, turning Ecuador’s ports into key trafficking hubs.
Ecuador’s government had offered a $1 million reward for information leading to his capture.
If extradited and convicted in the United States, Fito faces a possible life sentence.
What’s Next?
While Fito’s capture is a major symbolic and strategic win for the Noboa administration, the battle against Ecuador’s entrenched drug cartels is far from over. Authorities have warned of possible retaliatory violence and remain on high alert.
The KNCHR and international observers have urged the government to prioritize human rights and judicial due process as it continues its crackdown on organized crime.
For now, Ecuadorans are cautiously celebrating a breakthrough in the fight against the narco-terror gripping their nation.
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