Wife and daughter of Los Choneros leader detained in Colombia — Korea Herald
In the city of Sabana de Torres in northeastern Colombia, police detained the wife and daughter of Ecuadorian criminal leader José Adolfo Macías Villamar, known by the nickname Fito. The women are wanted in Ecuador in a money laundering case, Korea Herald reports, citing the Associated Press.
According to police, the operation was carried out with the support of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation and Ecuadorian authorities. Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella said that the country would not become a safe haven for the finances of transnational criminal groups and expressed his intention to hand the women over to Ecuador so they can face justice in that country.
Fito's escape and extradition
José Adolfo Macías Villamar escaped from a prison in Ecuador's Guayaquil in January 2024. After his escape, Ecuadorian authorities declared a state of emergency. Deadly riots later occurred in prisons, while chaos erupted in Guayaquil: gang members seized a television station during a live broadcast.
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Last year, Macías Villamar was recaptured and extradited to the United States, where he was charged with importing thousands of pounds of cocaine. His Los Choneros organization was designated a terrorist group by the U.S. Department of State last year.
Violence in Ecuador
Despite the detention of influential criminal group leaders and the deployment of the military to patrol certain cities, Ecuador continues to struggle with drug trafficking-related violence. According to the country's Interior Ministry, the murder rate has increased fivefold since 2020 and reached the highest level in Ecuador's modern history last year — 50 murders per 100,000 residents.
Human rights organizations have criticized Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa's approach to combating drug gangs, citing abuses by the military, including the killing of four children aged 11 to 15 in 2024. Despite this, Noboa was re-elected last year for a four-year term.
