Ecuador’s most wanted criminal, drug kingpin Adolfo Macías Villamar, better known by his nickname “Fito,” has been captured by police, ending a long and intense search. Fito, the clear leader of the powerful gang Los Choneros, is linked to the sudden change that has turned Ecuador from a peaceful vacation spot into a country struggling with some of the worst violence in the area.
According to BBC, he is also suspected of planning the murder of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio in 2023, a killing that shocked the nation’s political world. Police carefully followed leads to track Macías to a hidden underground shelter, described as a bunker, located below a luxurious home in the coastal city of Manta.
The arrest operation was a carefully coordinated ten-hour effort involving both police and military forces, and it happened without any gunfire. Law enforcement and soldiers first set up a secure perimeter, watching and then surrounding the large three-story house in Manta’s Monterrey neighborhood.
Drug lord finally captured, may end up in US
When law enforcement entered the building, they found a cleverly hidden sliding door designed to look like part of the stone floor. Under it, a set of strong metal stairs led down to Fito’s secret underground hideout. Inside this hidden “bunker,” investigators found signs of a comfortable life, including an air conditioner, a bed, a fan, and a fridge. The expensive house above also had many luxury features, including a gym with a punching bag and a game room with a pool table and foosball table.
Fito did not fight back when he was caught. After his arrest, he was quickly flown to Guayaquil, a major port city that holds some of Ecuador’s biggest and most secure prisons. Photos showed his arrival in Guayaquil, where he was dressed in casual clothes—shorts, a T-shirt, and flip-flops—as a team of heavily armed officers led him to an SUV that would take him to La Roca, a maximum-security prison. The extra security during this transfer was due to Fito’s past escapes—he had broken out of prison twice before, making it crucial to stop him from doing so again.
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa praised the security forces for their hard work in capturing Fito. He also said the drug lord would be sent to the United States, where he faces charges for smuggling cocaine. Fito’s escape in January 2024 from La Regional prison in Guayaquil, which allegedly involved help from at least two guards, had already drawn worldwide media attention.
This bold escape set off a wave of violent prison riots, with guards taken hostage, leading President Noboa to declare a nationwide state of emergency, showing just how much of a threat the country’s powerful gangs are. We make movies out of it and obsess over images of them, but they are dangerous people.
Fito was already infamous before his latest escape. While serving a 34-year sentence for murder and drug crimes, he rose to the top of the Los Choneros gang, taking over after its former leader died. From prison, he controlled the gang’s illegal activities, including large-scale drug trafficking and complex extortion operations. His suspected role in the shocking killing of politician Fernando Villavicencio, who was shot dead at a campaign event just before the 2023 election, made his reputation as a brutal and powerful crime boss even stronger.
