26.06.2025 08:00
In Ecuador, security forces captured Adolfo Macias Salazar, known as "Fito," the most wanted drug trafficker and gang leader in the country's history, after 17 months of surveillance.
The leader of the criminal organization Los Choneros in Ecuador, Fito, was captured in a hideout in the port city of Manta, located 400 kilometers from the capital Quito. Authorities reported that the operation, jointly conducted by the police and military, lasted approximately 10 hours and that there were no casualties.
PRESIDENT NOBOA: WE WILL TAKE OUR COUNTRY BACK
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa stated in a post on the social media platform X, "I thank our police and soldiers. More will fall. We will take our country back, and the fight will continue." Meanwhile, local media reported that Fito, who has multiple arrest warrants in the United States for various crimes, will be extradited in the coming days.
FITO'S ESCAPE FROM PRISON
Fito had received a total of 34 years in prison for murder, forming an organized crime group, illegal possession of firearms, and drug trafficking. After serving 12 years of his sentence, Fito escaped during a riot that broke out at Guayaquil Regional Prison on January 7, 2024.
NUMEROUS PEOPLE DIED IN PRISON RIOTS
Following the escape, riots and violence occurred in prisons across the country, resulting in numerous fatalities. After Fito's escape and bomb attacks on police vehicles, the government declared a 60-day state of emergency on January 9.