José Adolfo Macías Villamar ‘Fito’: The drug lord who turned Ecuador into a cartel warzone

José Adolfo Macías Villamar, popularly known as ‘Fito’, was a taxi driver in the seaside city of Manta before becoming one of Ecuador's most feared criminals. Fito turned Ecuador from a comparatively peaceful country into one of the most violent battlegrounds for organised crime in the region while serving as the head of Los Choneros, a potent drug cartel with connections to the Gulf Clan in Colombia and the Sinaloa cartel in Mexico. Over 70% of the world's cocaine now travels through Ecuadorian ports, according to Al Jazeera, a significant change that Fito's activities are largely responsible for.

 

Fito was incarcerated at La Regional prison in Guayaquil for 34 years after being found guilty of murder, drug trafficking, and organised crime. Despite being behind bars, he established authority inside the prison and took charge of Los Choneros following the murder of its former leader. According to BBC News, he organised extortion rackets and drug shipments while being imprisoned.

 

With the assistance of at least two guards, Fito broke out of prison in January 2024, sparking a national emergency. Bombings, hostage situations involving prison guards, and even an armed attack on a live television broadcast were among the deadly acts of violence that followed his disappearance. The Ecuadorian government responded by declaring a state of internal armed conflict, deploying tanks and military forces to battle the gangs on the streets.

 

Authorities launched an international manhunt, offering a $1 million reward for information leading to his capture. However, it was eventually discovered that Fito had never departed the nation. In Manta, the same city where his criminal career started, he had been hiding in an opulent underground bunker beneath a family member's mansion. In June 2025,  the drug lord was captured by the police after a raid was conducted on the property.

 

For President Daniel Noboa, who ran on a platform of re-establishing order in a besieged country, Fito's arrest was a turning point. Noboa praised the work of the security forces, stating that the recapture demonstrated the efficacy of his security reforms, which include laws giving the government broad authority to circumvent warrants and treat gang violence as armed internal conflict. He confirmed Ecuador's plan to send Fito to the US to stand trial for conspiracy, weapons trafficking, and cocaine smuggling.

 

On July 11, Fito appeared before a judge via videolink from a high-security prison in Guayaquil. Dressed in an orange prison uniform, he accepted the extradition request, becoming the first Ecuadorian to be extradited since the measure was legalised, following a 2024 referendum. His U.S. lawyer, Alexei Schacht, confirmed that the decision was made based on Fito's Ecuadorian legal counsel's advice and that the legal team was trying to get the best result for him, as reported by Al Jazeera.

 

Fito is also suspected of ordering the shooting death of Fernando Villavicencio, a presidential candidate and anti-corruption activist, at a campaign rally a few days before the 2023 election. His alleged role in the murder only increased the pressure on Ecuador's government to take strong action against organised crime. Fito led Los Choneros to use strategies akin to those of Mexico's most vicious cartels, including targeted murders, dismemberment, and beheadings. According to BBC News, Los Choneros' alliance with the Sinaloa cartel is thought to be the direct cause of this cultural shift in gang violence.

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