Ecuador’s notorious gang leader ‘Fito’ extradited to US

By Asiye Latife Yilmaz

ISTANBUL (AA) – Ecuador extradited notorious drug trafficker and gang leader Jose Adolfo Macias Villamar, known as ‘El Fito,’ to the US on Sunday, a month after his recapture following a prison escape that sparked nationwide unrest.

Macias, leader of the violent Los Choneros cartel, was moved under heavy guard from Guayaquil’s maximum-security prison to the city airport and handed over to US authorities to complete his extradition.

In April, the US Attorney’s Office charged Macias with cocaine distribution, conspiracy, and firearms offenses, including weapons smuggling.

After spending more than a year in hiding, Macias was captured last month in an underground bunker beneath a luxury mansion in Manabi province that included a gym, marble walls and a game room.

A US Department of Justice letter confirmed on Sunday that Macias is set to appear in Brooklyn federal court on Monday “for an arraignment on the superseding indictment,” with prosecutors requesting his detention until trial due to public safety concerns and flight risk.

If convicted, Macias faces a prison sentence ranging from a minimum of 10 years to life imprisonment. His lawyer has indicated that he will plead not guilty.

In January, Macias escaped from his cell in Guayaquil’s Litoral prison along with other high-profile inmates. He had been serving a 34-year sentence since 2011 after convictions for drug trafficking, murder and organized crime.

After Macias disappeared from his cell, Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa declared a 60-day state of emergency that triggered riots in at least six correctional facilities across the country.