Uncovering a drug kingpin's luxurious hideout in Ecuador

Uncovering a drug kingpin's luxurious hideout in Ecuador

The Ecuadorian security forces have impressively captured the country's most wanted man, the drug lord Adolfo “Fito” Macias, caught. This happened more than a year after his daring Prison break, which led the Ecuadorian president to declare an internal armed conflict to crack down on the country's most violent gangs.

Successful arrest after a long manhunt

After a nearly 18-month hunt for the leader of the criminal organization Los Choneros, Ecuador's security body made a significant breakthrough on June 25. They received information that led them to a luxurious villa in Manabí province, long considered a stronghold for the gang's drug operations.

Access and security of the villa

Authorities immediately traveled to the region and launched a 10-hour operation to find and capture the notorious gangster. To protect the raid, the military and police cordoned off a 15-block radius so no one could enter or leave the scene.

Armed Forces special forces eventually entered the property to gather further information and take control of the house. The villa was fully equipped and featured a pool, gym, modern equipment, games room and walls that resembled marble. In addition, construction site characteristics indicated that the property was still under construction.

Hideout and arrest

In one area of ​​the house, emergency services discovered a perfectly camouflaged hole in the ground that contained a bunker with hidden access and air conditioning. “The police and armed forces searched on site with tools to find out where the alias 'Fito' was hiding,” said Ecuadorian Interior Minister John Reimberg.

A surveillance flight had identified an irregular field behind the house, so authorities requested the use of excavators to locate the drug lord. "When they started digging, Fito panicked because the roof of his bunker might collapse. At the same moment, he opened the hatch where the military was already and climbed out of the hole where he was hiding. That's how we were able to arrest him," said Reimberg.

After the arrest and transfer

Soldiers pushed Macías to the ground, pointed their weapons at him and demanded that he say his full name out loud. “Adolfo Macías Villamar,” he replied, lying on the floor with his hands tied. The military footage shows the moment of arrest.

After the operation, Macías was arrested along with four other men who were part of his security detail. He was immediately taken to Manta Air Base and then to Guayaquil Air Base. From there he had to go to the maximum security prison La Roca, which is located in the Guayaquil prison complex and from which he escaped in January 2024.

Future and possible delivery

A photo later released by the Interior Ministry shows the drug lord locked in his cell. president Daniel Noboa reported that Ecuador is working to extradite him to the United States, where he faces drug and weapons charges. The government is waiting for a response from American officials.

Macías is considered one of Ecuador's most notorious gangsters and is the only surviving founding member of Los Choneros. According to think tank Insight Crime, he was convicted in 2011 "of a range of crimes, including murder and drug trafficking", but escaped from prison in February 2013 before being recaptured months later.

Little is known about his life before crime, but during his more than ten years in prison he gained a reputation as the gang's money laundering expert. Before he escaped from prison in 2024, the government planned to transfer Macías to a higher security facility. The Noboa press representative reported that this news probably reached Macías and caused him to flee.