Ecuador’s Notorious Drug Lord 'Fito' Extradited to Face US Justice

The extradition marks a significant escalation in Ecuador's fight against organized crime and drug trafficking.

 

Ecuadorian authorities have extradited powerful drug lord Adolfo Macías Villamar, widely known as "Fito," to the United States, where he is set to face serious charges related to drug and arms trafficking. This significant move follows his recapture in June, nearly a year since his dramatic escape from a high-security prison where he was serving a lengthy 34-year sentence for multiple crimes. Fito's upcoming appearance in a U.S. federal court on Monday will see him plead not guilty to international trafficking charges, according to his attorney, Alexei Schacht.

Fito is notorious for leading Los Choneros, a gang linked to extensive criminal networks across Mexico and the Balkans. His gang has been implicated in turning Ecuador, once known as a tranquil tourist destination, into a nation grappling with some of the highest murder rates in Latin America. Notably, he is also suspected of orchestrating the assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio in 2023.

In the past decade, Ecuador has become a crucial transit point for cocaine, with over 70% of the world's cocaine supply flowing through its ports, exacerbated by its geographic position between Peru and Colombia, two major cocaine-producing nations. Fito was located by police in June, hidden in an underground bunker beneath a luxury home in Manta. Following his recapture, he was transferred to La Roca, a maximum-security facility, while Ecuador's President, Daniel Noboa, commended the forces responsible for his capture and confirmed his impending extradition to the United States.

On Sunday, the Ecuadorian prison authority disclosed that Fito was removed from his prison cell and handed over to U.S. officials. As the new extradition laws were approved by a recent referendum, Ecuadorians have shown strong support for stricter measures against rising crime. In a bold move earlier this year, President Noboa advocated for international military support from the U.S., Europe, and Brazil in combating the escalating violence instigated by criminal gangs.