Ecuadorian authorities recaptured drug kingpin Adolfo Macías Villamar, known as Fito, during a 10-hour operation in coastal Manta. Fito, head of Los Choneros, had escaped prison in January, which prompted riots and a national emergency across Ecuador.
A combined force of police and military surrounded a luxury three-story home in the Manta Monterey neighborhood early Wednesday morning. After covering the property, officers stormed the house and discovered a trap door disguised as part of the stone floor.
The secret door led to an underground bunker with air conditioning, a bed, a refrigerator, and other living essentials. Officials confirmed Fito surrendered without resistance and was flown to Guayaquil, home to Ecuador’s most secure prisons.
Security forces transferred Fito to La Roca, a high-security prison, amid tight surveööiance due to his two previous escapes. Police reported that no shots were fired during the operation, which involved extensive surveillance and planning before the raid.
President Daniel Noboa praised the arrest, calling it a significant victory in Ecuador’s war against robust transnational crime networks. Authorities believe recapturing Villamar will help restore control following months of violence after his January escape.
His prison break triggered deadly riots and multiple hostage crises and forced Noboa to declare a nationwide state of emergency. Fito was serving a 34-year sentence for murder and drug trafficking but continued running Los Choneros from behind bars.
He allegedly ordered the 2023 assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio just days before Ecuador’s national election. Experts say Fito’s alliance with Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel imported brutal cartel tactics like beheadings and mutilation into Ecuador.
