After almost 18 months on the run, Ecuador’s Los Choneros gang’s leader has been recaptured, according to President Daniel Noboa.
In January of this year, Jose Adolfo Macias, also known as “Fito,” escaped from Guayaquil Prison, where he was serving a 34-year sentence for drug trafficking and murder.
Noboa announced on Wednesday on the X social media platform that Macias will now be extradited to the US after being charged with drug trafficking and smuggling. He was charged with those crimes in a federal court.
Noboa had previously offered $1 million to assist in finding Macias after thousands of police officers and members of the armed forces were dispatched to his location.
“My sincere gratitude to the military and police who participated in this operation. More will fall, and we’ll regain our country. No agreement, Noboa claimed on X.
Due to the necessity of the Leyes of Solidaridad and Inteligencia, Fito was captured and is now a member of the Bloque of Seguridad.
I extend my condolences to the officers and soldiers who participated in this operation. Caerán más, …
Authorities have not yet explained how Macias managed to escape before moving him to a maximum-security facility.
According to the US government, the successful escape “spreads widespread riots, bombings, kidnappings, the assassination of a prominent prosecutor, and an armed attack on a TV network during a live broadcast,” leading Noboa to declare a 60-day state of emergency in Ecuador.
Additionally, the president of Ecuador referred to 22 gangs as “terrorist groups,” including Los Choneros.
In February 2024, the US Department of Treasury issued separate sanctions against both Macias and Los Choneros for causing violence in Ecuador and trafficking drugs.
Ecuador was once one of Latin America’s most tranquil nations, but because of its proximity to Peru and Colombia, two of the world’s top cocaine exporters, criminal organizations have become increasingly interested in its exports.
Source: Aljazeera
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