The Ecuadorian drug lord ‘Fito’ is en route to the US and will appear in court in Brooklyn on Monday. The leader of the Los Choneros gang was arrested a month ago after an escape that led to a wave of violence in Ecuador.
The lawyer for José Adolfo Macías Villamar, as ‘Fito’ is officially called, confirms the extradition. “Mr. Macías and I will appear in federal court in Brooklyn tomorrow, where he will plead not guilty,” the lawyer told Reuters news agency on Sunday. “After that, he will be held in a prison to be determined.”
‘Fito’ is suspected in the US of international trafficking in weapons and drugs. Earlier this month, he had agreed to an extradition to that country.
A month ago, the Ecuadorian was arrested after escaping from a high-security prison in January 2024. That escape led to riots in prisons and terrorist attacks in several Ecuadorian cities. President Daniel Noboa declared a state of emergency and deployed the army. ‘Fito’ was eventually found in his hometown of Manta, where he was hiding in a camouflaged bunker.
‘Fito’ is seen as one of Ecuador’s most dangerous drug criminals. He is suspected of involvement in the murder of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio in August 2023. His gang Los Choneros is the Ecuadorian branch of the Mexican Sinaloa drug cartel.