QUITO: Ecuador has extradited Adolfo “Fito” Macías, one of the country’s most feared drug lords, to the United States, more than a year after his dramatic escape from a high-security prison that triggered a national crisis.
Macías, the leader of the powerful Los Choneros gang, was flown to the U.S. on Sunday. Flight-tracking data confirmed his arrival in New York state later that evening.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, he is scheduled to appear in federal court in Brooklyn on Monday for an arraignment. Prosecutors are pursuing a list of serious charges, including cocaine trafficking, conspiracy, and weapons smuggling.
Macías’ lawyer, Alexei Schacht, has indicated that his client intends to plead not guilty.
The notorious kingpin, a former taxi driver who rose to power in Ecuador’s criminal underworld, was transferred from a maximum-security facility in south-west Ecuador earlier on Sunday to complete his extradition. He had agreed to the process during a court appearance in Quito last week.
His extradition marks a historic first under a new law passed after a 2024 referendum spearheaded by President Daniel Noboa, which gave legal backing to extradite Ecuadorian nationals wanted abroad primarily to crack down on rampant gang violence.
Once a relatively peaceful nation between cocaine powerhouses Colombia and Peru, Ecuador has seen a surge in violent crime linked to transnational drug syndicates.
Los Choneros, under Macías’ leadership, is believed to have strong ties with Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel, Colombia’s Gulf Clan, and organized crime groups from the Balkans.
Macías’s escape in January 2024 led Noboa to declare a state of internal armed conflict, mobilizing the military to combat gang violence. His eventual capture on 25 June 2025 came after a massive manhunt.
He was discovered hiding beneath floor tiles in a concealed bunker within a luxury home in Manta, a coastal city central to Los Choneros operations.
Ecuadorian authorities had offered a $1 million reward for information leading to his arrest.
Speaking with CNN following Macías’ recapture, President Noboa said: The sooner we extradite him, the better. He must answer to U.S. justice.
Government data shows that over 70% of the world’s cocaine passes through Ecuador’s ports. In 2024 alone, the country seized a record-breaking 294 tonnes of narcotics, highlighting the scale of the crisis.
