Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa confirmed the capture of Adolfo Macías Villamar, also known as Fito, one of the country's most wanted drug traffickers and leader of the Los Choneros criminal organization.
In a message posted on his official X account, Noboa attributed the success of the operation to the implementation of the Solidarity and Intelligence laws, promoted by his government and questioned by sectors of the opposition.
"Thanks to these laws, Fito was captured today and is in the hands of the Security Bloc ," the president wrote.
The arrest of José Adolfo Macías Villamar , also known as Fito, occurred at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, June 25, in the La Tejedora neighborhood of Manta.
The operation took place at the home of his partner, who was also arrested by the authorities.
According to the report, Fito was hiding in an underground bunker built beneath the property.
José Adolfo alias Fito, who had escaped since January 2024 from the Guayaquil prison, is wanted by the American justice systems, which accuse him of leading a criminal network responsible for transporting large quantities of cocaine to North America.
The Federal District Court for the Eastern District of New York filed a seven-count indictment against him in April 2025, including conspiracy to distribute cocaine and firearms internationally to the United States.
According to the Department of Justice, under the command of Macías Villamar, Los Choneros maintained ties to the Sinaloa Cartel and developed a violent structure with transnational operational capacity, employing hired killers.
Fito's extradition will now depend on the relevant judicial procedure, but the Ecuadorian government has indicated that it has already met all formal requirements for this process to move forward.