Ecuador Recaptures Drug Lord 'Fito' in Manta After 17 Months Hiding in Bunker, Extradition to U.S. Initiated

Ecuadorian authorities have recaptured José Adolfo Macías Villamar, known as "Fito," the country's most wanted criminal and leader of the notorious drug trafficking gang Los Choneros. Fito had been on the run for approximately 17 months after escaping from the Litoral prison in Guayaquil in January 2024, an escape that triggered a wave of violence and exposed vulnerabilities in Ecuador's security and prison systems. The operation to capture him took place in Manta, his hometown, where he was found hiding in a camouflaged underground bunker beneath a luxurious three-story house equipped with a pool and gym. The arrest involved a joint effort by Ecuador's police and military forces, who secured a 15-block perimeter and employed heavy machinery during the more than 10-hour operation.

Authorities followed a lead involving one of Fito's bodyguards and used specialized technology to locate him. Fito is convicted of multiple crimes including drug trafficking and homicide and is formally charged in the United States with seven counts related to cocaine trafficking in collaboration with the Mexican Sinaloa Cartel. Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa announced the capture and indicated that extradition proceedings to the U.S. have begun, with U.S. authorities expressing support for the arrest. The government has placed the Interior and Defense Ministries on alert for potential retaliatory violence from criminal groups following the capture. Four bodyguards who protected Fito during his fugitive period have been imprisoned. The recapture marks a key milestone in President Noboa's campaign against organized crime in Ecuador, though experts caution that the disruption to Los Choneros may be temporary. Fito's criminal career includes ordering political assassinations, and his escape and subsequent manhunt highlighted challenges in Ecuador's law enforcement and prison management.