Ecuador: Notorious Gang Leader Fito Disappears from Prison

A convicted leader of one of Ecuador's most powerful drug gangs, Adolfo Macias, known as "Fito," has mysteriously disappeared from the prison where he was serving a 34-year sentence, AP reports.

Authorities are investigating whether he escaped, echoing a similar incident a decade ago.

Ecuador authorities reported on Sunday that Fito, the leader of Los Choneros gang, was not in his cell, and as of Monday, his whereabouts remain unknown.

Ecuador's prosecutor's office has filed charges against two prison guards as part of the investigation, treating the case as a "prisoner's escape."

President Daniel Noboa has declared a national state of emergency, enabling the suspension of certain rights and the mobilization of the military, specifically addressing the need to confront crime within prisons.

Adolfo Macias and Los Choneros Gang

Macias, alias "Fito," was sentenced in 2011 to 34 years in prison for various crimes, including drug trafficking and murder, according to Reuters.

Los Choneros is a notorious criminal organization associated with extortion, murder, and drug trafficking, accused of exerting control over Ecuador's main prisons.

"We're grateful for the courage and commitment of the law enforcement forces, who, in an operation involving more than 3,000 people, have intervened in the prison in search of the most-wanted prisoner," said presidential spokesman Roberto Izurieta during the press conference.

Rival criminal organizations frequently clash within Ecuador's overcrowded prisons, resulting in more than 400 inmate deaths since 2021.

ADolfo Macias, a significant figure in Los Choneros, has been implicated in various criminal activities, including the killing of a prominent individual named Villavicencio, who had received death threats from him.

Fito's Brazen Actions Behind Bars

Ecuador gang leader, Fito, known for his brazen actions, recently released a "narcocorrido," a music video glorifying his criminal exploits, partially recorded inside the prison, per BBC.

The video features the Mariachi Bravo duo singing alongside Macias's daughter, known as Queen Michelle, praising her father as a "man of honor."

"I take my hat off to you, Fito, my dad," his daughter croons, claiming that "through his veins, good blood flows".

The footage suggests a breach of the ban on electronic devices within the prison.

Despite being behind bars, the Ecuador gang leader has a history of eluding authorities. In 2013, he and 17 other inmates escaped from La Roca, a prison within the larger compound.

They fled on boats on the River Daule but were captured four months later. Macias has been incarcerated since then.

It remains unclear whether the Ecuador gang leader managed to leave the prison compound in the port city or is hiding within.

Authorities are actively searching the prison complex, which houses five penitentiaries and over 12,000 inmates.

Adolfo Macias had previously been briefly transferred to a smaller, supposedly safer jail within the compound but was moved back after a successful appeal by his lawyer.

The Ecuador gang Fito leads, Los Choneros, primarily engages in drug trafficking and extortion, establishing connections with Mexico's powerful Sinaloa cartel.

The disappearance of such a high-profile criminal raises concerns about the efficacy of Ecuador's prison system and the challenges authorities face in maintaining control and preventing escapes.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: An operation is underway in Ecuador to find their "most-wanted prisoner", who disappeared from jail - From The Telegraph