Ecuador recaptures drug kingpin wanted in United States

Ecuadorean authorities on Wednesday arrested notorious drug trafficker José Adolfo Macías Villamar more than a year after he escaped from prison. Police and military authorities caught the criminal known as Fito using enforcement powers and information granted under new laws, Ecuadorean President Daniel Noboa said. Authorities found Macías Villamar inside a residence in his hometown of Manta, hiding in a small hole beneath a kitchen counter, according to Sky News.

Who is Macías Villamar? The 45-year-old is the head of Los Choneros, one of Ecuador’s most violent gangs. Authorities there earlier sentenced him to 34 years in prison for crimes including murder and drug trafficking. He escaped in January 2024 just before his planned transfer to a maximum security prison, according to the U.S. Treasury, which sanctioned him last year.

After Macías Villamar’s escape, President Noboa declared a 60-day state of emergency. Gangs responded with a wave of violence, including kidnappings, prison riots, and bombings—prompting Noboa to declare that Ecuador was in a state of internal armed conflict, according to the Treasury. Ecuador’s homicide rate rose 429% between 2019 and 2024.

What are the new laws Noboa mentioned? Ecuador's president pushed for the controversial laws in response to gang violence. Ecuador’s National Assembly passed the Solidarity Law on June 7, granting the president and security forces broad powers during a state of armed conflict. The law allowed law enforcement to use lethal force in ways not typically permitted internationally, according to Human Rights Watch. The Intelligence Law, passed June 10, similarly extended government powers, requiring most entities to turn over any requested information without a court order, Human Rights Watch said.

What fate awaits Macías Villamar? Ecuador offered to help extradite him to the United States to face charges and was awaiting a response, Noboa said. The U.S. Department of Justice in April said it indicted Macías Villamar in federal court for charges including international cocaine distribution and firearms smuggling. If convicted, he could spend 10 years to a life sentence in U.S. prison.

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