Ecuador gang leader 'Fito' extradited ahead of US trial.

Ecuadorian gang leader Jose Adolfo Macias Villamar, known as "Fito," has been taken out of prison ahead of his extradition to the US. Fito, leader of the Los Choneros gang, escaped from prison last year but was recaptured last month. He is serving a 34-year sentence for various crimes.

Ecuadorian gang leader Jose Adolfo Macias Villamar, known as "Fito," has been taken out of prison ahead of his extradition to the United States. Fito, the leader of the Los Choneros gang, escaped from prison last year but was recaptured in June 2024. He is currently serving a 34-year sentence for various crimes, including homicide and narcotics trafficking [2].

Fito's escape from prison in January 2024 unleashed a wave of violence in Ecuador, prompting President Daniel Noboa to declare an internal armed conflict and designate Los Choneros and 21 other criminal groups as terror organizations [2]. The US Department of the Treasury subsequently sanctioned Los Choneros and Fito for their drug trafficking and violent activities [2].

Ecuador is working to extradite Fito to the US, and Noboa has stated that the country is awaiting a response from American officials [2]. The extradition process is a significant development in the ongoing efforts to dismantle organized crime in Ecuador.

The extradition of Fito to the US is expected to have significant implications for the international criminal justice landscape. It underscores the importance of international cooperation in combating transnational organized crime and highlights the role of the US in supporting global efforts to apprehend and prosecute notorious criminal leaders [1].

References:

[1] https://ground.news/article/national-court-approves-request-for-extradition-of-alias-fito
[2] https://www.aol.com/drug-kingpin-fito-ecuador-most-234846776.html