Key Facts
• Ecuadorian drug lord José Adolfo Macías, known as “Fito,” extradited to the U.S.
• Macías led the criminal group “Los Choneros” since 2020, accused of cocaine trafficking.
• Arrested in June 2025 in a hidden bunker beneath a luxury mansion.
• Previously escaped from a high-security prison in Guayaquil in January 2024.
• Escape led to increased violence, including gang attacks on a TV station.
• Extradition occurred on July 20, 2025, via a U.S. Department of Justice aircraft.
• Macías faces seven charges in a Brooklyn federal court, including drug and arms trafficking.
• Potential sentence ranges from 10 years to life imprisonment.
• Photos show Macías in protective gear escorted by heavily armed police.
• Ecuador declared 22 criminal groups, including Los Choneros, as terrorist organizations.
Summary
José Adolfo Macías, alias “Fito,” a notorious Ecuadorian drug lord and leader of the criminal group Los Choneros, was extradited to the United States on July 20, 2025. Macías, who escaped from a high-security prison in Guayaquil in January 2024, was recaptured in June 2025 in a hidden bunker beneath a luxury mansion. His escape triggered a surge in violence across Ecuador, including a gang attack on a live TV broadcast. U.S. authorities accuse Los Choneros of trafficking cocaine internationally. Macías faces seven charges in a Brooklyn federal court, with a potential sentence of 10 years to life imprisonment. Ecuadorian authorities declared Los Choneros and 21 other groups as terrorist organizations in response to escalating violence. The extradition marks a significant step in addressing transnational drug trafficking.
