Jose Adolfo Macías, the notorious Ecuadorian crime boss known as “Fito,” has agreed to be extradited to the United States, where he faces serious drug and weapons trafficking charges brought by the U.S. Justice Department.
During a hearing held at Ecuador’s National Court of Justice on Friday, the leader of the criminal group Los Choneros formally consented to extradition.
In a statement to CNN, Macías’s U.S.-based attorney, Alexei Schacht, confirmed the decision, “We are working hard to defend his rights and help him and his family,” Schacht said. “Mr. Macías and his entire legal team are working hard to obtain the best possible outcome for him.”
He added that Macías took the decision based on the advice of his Ecuadorian lawyer.
Fito’s dramatic escape from prison in January 2024 triggered a wave of violence across Ecuador. Just days after his disappearance, armed men took over a live television broadcast, holding staff at gunpoint.
The chaos prompted President Daniel Noboa, who had only recently assumed office, to declare an “internal armed conflict” and label Los Choneros and 21 other gangs as terrorist groups.
Macías is believed to be the last surviving founding member of Los Choneros. Though much of his early life remains a mystery, his years behind bars earned him a reputation as a financial mastermind within the organization, particularly in laundering money.
His escape also exposed the disturbing privileges he enjoyed while incarcerated. According to local outlet Ecuavisa, his prison life included birthday fireworks and a lavish cell reportedly expanded in size.
A military source told CNN that Macías even hosted multiple female visitors while serving his sentence.
After more than a year on the run, authorities located and re-arrested him last month. He was found hiding in an underground bunker beneath a luxurious property in Manabí province.
The mansion featured high-end amenities such as a private gym, marble interiors, and a game room.
Surveillance flights spotted unusual ground formations behind the villa, which led officials to dig around the site.
“They started to excavate,” Ecuador’s Interior Minister John Reimberg recalled. “As soon as this happened, Fito panicked because if we continued, the roof of his bunker would collapse. At that moment, he opened the hatch, where the military was already located, and climbed out of the hole where he was hiding. That’s how we detained him.”
Following the dramatic capture, President Noboa made it clear that Macías would be sent to the U.S. to face justice.
