Ecuador’s year-long manhunt for its most wanted criminal ended dramatically this week with the capture of José Adolfo Macías Villamar, alias ‘Fito’, the notorious leader of the Los Choneros gang.
Fito, whose escape from prison in early 2024 plunged the country into chaos, was apprehended in his coastal hometown of Manta following a tense 10-hour operation involving both military and police forces.
The raid, which unfolded late Tuesday and into Wednesday, was hailed by President Daniel Noboa as a major victory in Ecuador’s ongoing battle against organised crime.
“The security block, armed forces and national police — after an operation of 10 hours, we achieved the capture of Jose Adolfo Macias Villamar, alias Fito. A successful operation of the security block,” Interior Minister John Reimberg announced.
Military footage released to the public showed the moment Fito was discovered hiding in a cramped space beneath a kitchen counter, an armed officer confirming his identity at gunpoint.
Fito’s capture marks the end of a 17-month saga that exposed the vulnerabilities of Ecuador’s prison and security systems. In January 2024, Fito vanished from Guayaquil Regional Prison, where he was serving a 34-year sentence for murder and drug trafficking.
His disappearance was only discovered when soldiers arrived to transfer him to a higher-security facility, finding his cell empty. The escape triggered an unprecedented wave of violence: riots erupted in seven prisons, explosions and attacks rocked cities, and armed men stormed a live television broadcast.
In response, President Daniel Noboa declared an internal armed conflict, militarised the streets, and labelled Los Choneros and 21 other criminal organisations as terrorist entities.
The United States Department of the Treasury imposed sanctions on both Fito and his gang for their roles in international drug trafficking and violent crime.
Fito’s criminal reach extended far beyond Ecuador’s borders; a U.S. indictment accuses him of smuggling tons of cocaine into the United States in collaboration with Mexican cartels, as well as orchestrating arms trafficking and assassinations.
Despite his imprisonment, Fito maintained control over Los Choneros, orchestrating criminal operations from behind bars and even releasing videos flanked by armed associates. His influence was so pervasive that the government recently offered a $1 million reward for information leading to his capture.
The operation to recapture Fito comes amid heightened scrutiny of Ecuador’s security forces, especially after the recent escape of another gang leader, Federico Gómez, alias “Fede”. Authorities say Fito will now face extradition proceedings to the United States, where he is wanted on multiple charges related to drug and weapons trafficking.
President Noboa and his administration have celebrated Fito’s arrest as a turning point in their campaign to reclaim the country from organised crime.
