Ecuador Extradites Leader Of Violent Ecuadorian Drug Gang To The United States

QUITO, Ecuador — Ecuador connected Sunday extradited to nan United States nan leader of a convulsive Ecuadorian pack who relied connected hitmen, bribes and subject weapons to do business.

José Adolfo Macías Villamar, whose nickname is “Fito,” escaped from a situation successful Ecuador past twelvemonth and was recaptured precocious June. In April, a U.S. Attorney indicted him successful New York City connected charges he imported thousands of pounds of cocaine into nan United States.

Macías “was removed from nan La Roca Detention Center nether nan custody of nan National Police and Armed Forces for nan due proceedings successful nan discourse of an extradition process,” Ecuador’s authorities agency responsible for overseeing prisons, SNAI, said successful a connection sent to journalists.

Details of nan handover were not specified.

A photograph released by SNAI showed Macías wearing a T-shirt, shorts, a bulletproof vest and helmet. Several constabulary officers were guarding him astatine an undisclosed location.

The Ecuadorian will look Monday earlier Brooklyn’s national tribunal “where he will plead not guilty,” Macías’ lawyer Alexei Schacht told The Associated Press via email. After that, he will beryllium detained successful a situation yet to beryllium determined, Schacht added.

The extradition determination came aft nan United States sent a archive to Ecuador offering guarantees for nan respect of nan authorities of nan 45-year-old criminal leader.

Since 2020, Macías has led “Los Choneros,” a criminal statement that emerged successful nan 1990s. The pack employed group to bargain firearms and ammunition successful nan United States and smuggle them into Ecuador, according to April’s indictment. Cocaine would travel into nan United States pinch nan thief of Mexican cartels. Together, nan groups controlled cardinal cocaine trafficking routes done Ecuador, violently targeting rule enforcement, politicians, lawyers and civilians who stood successful nan way.

Macías escaped from a Guayaquil prison wherever he was serving a 34-year condemnation for supplier trafficking, organized crime, and murder. He was recaptured a twelvemonth and a half later connected nan country’s cardinal coast.

Macías has cultivated a cult position among chap pack members and nan nationalist successful his location country. While down bars successful 2023, he released a video addressed to “the Ecuadorian people” while flanked by equipped men. He besides threw parties successful prison, wherever he had entree to everything from liquor to roosters for cockfighting matches.

Macías is nan first Ecuadorian to beryllium extradited to nan U.S. from Ecuador, situation authorities said. Two different Ecuadorian supplier traffickers person antecedently been handed complete to nan United States but from Colombia, wherever they were arrested.