The Ecuadorian drug lord ‘Fito’ is on his way to the US and will appear before a judge 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 of Jose Adolfo Macias Villamar, as Fito’s full name is, confirms the extradition. “Mr. Macias and I will appear in federal court in Brooklyn tomorrow, where he will plead not guilty,” the lawyer told news agency Reuters on Sunday. “After that, he will be held in a prison to be determined.”
Fito is suspected in the US of international arms and drug trafficking. Earlier this month, he agreed to an extradition to that country.
A month ago, the Ecuadorian was arrested after he escaped from a high-security prison in January 2024. That escape led to riots in prisons and terrorist attacks in several 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 the most dangerous drug criminals in Ecuador. He is suspected of being involved in the murder of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio in August 2023, among other things. His gang Los Choneros is the Ecuadorian branch of the Mexican Sinaloa drug cartel.