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DARK SECRETS: Fito - The Real Truth

Alleged Leader of Top Ecuadorian Cartel Arrested in Spain After Years on the Run

Ecuadorian officials said Wilmer Geovanny Chavarría Barré had previously faked his death and assumed a new identity to hide in Europe while continuing to direct his criminal network from abroad.

Latin Times · Nov 18, 2025

Inmates Beheaded In Second Ecuador Prison Massacre In Days

Clashes between drug gangs on Thursday claimed at least 17 lives in the second deadly riot in an Ecuadoran prison in days, with rampaging inmates beheading and maiming rivals, officials in the violence-wracked country said.

International Business Times · Sep 25, 2025

14 Killed As Rival Ecuadoran Inmates Fight With Guns, Explosives

Inmates in Ecuador fought each other with guns and explosives in a riot that left 13 prisoners and a guard dead, police said Monday.

International Business Times · Sep 22, 2025

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Sinaloa and Jalisco Cartels' Influence in Ecuador Fuels Wave of Violence, Report Finds

Mexican cartels, particularly the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels, have entrenched themselves in Ecuador, partnering with local gangs that have adopted brutal tactics of violence, extortion, and corruption.

Latin Times · Aug 31, 2025

Ecuadorian drug lord 'Fito' pleads not guilty after being extradited to New York

The head of a violent Ecuadorian gang has pleaded not guilty to drug and gun charges in New York

The Independent UK · Jul 21, 2025

Ecuador’s biggest drug lord ‘Fito’ extradited to US, to plead ‘not guilty’

Adolfo Macias, who was recaptured in June after escaping from prison last year, will appear in New York court on Monday.

Al Jazeera · Jul 21, 2025

Ecuador extradites leader of violent Ecuadorian drug gang to the United States

Ecuador has extradited the leader of a violent Ecuadorian gang who relied on hitmen, bribes and military weapons to do business to the United States

The Independent UK · Jul 20, 2025

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Video shows ‘underground bunker’ couldn’t save Ecuador’s most wanted drug lord, now facing US extradition

Is he going to the US next?

We Got This Covered · Jun 27, 2025

Ecuador reveals how notorious gang leader 'Fito' hid in his hometown for 18 months after jailbreak

Ever since Ecuador’s most notorious gang leader vanished from his prison cell in January 2024, the mystery of his whereabouts has been the buzz of the nation

The Independent UK · Jun 27, 2025

Ecuador captures ‘Fito’, country’s most wanted fugitive gang leader

Jose Adolfo Macias, alias ‘Fito’, is due to be extradited to the US on drug trafficking and weapons smuggling charges.

Al Jazeera · Jun 26, 2025

Ecuador's Most-wanted Gang Leader 'Fito' Captured

Ecuador's president announced Wednesday that the country's most-wanted fugitive, Los Choneros gang leader "Fito," had been recaptured over a year after his escape from prison triggered a wave of violence.

International Business Times · Jun 26, 2025

Notorious gang leader recaptured more than a year after prison escape

Fugitive drug trafficker José Adolfo Macías, also known as Fito, is wanted by authorities in Ecuador and the United States

The Independent UK · Jun 26, 2025

Ecuador Declares State Of Emergency In 7 Provinces

Ecuador declared a state of emergency in nearly a third of its provinces Wednesday after a surge in violence amid the government's ongoing "war" on drug gangs.

International Business Times · May 23, 2024

Ecuador seeks urgent US assistance as violence escalates

Discover the urgent efforts of President Biden to assist Ecuador as the country faces a surge in violence. Learn about the government's crackdown on gangs ...

The sacrament in "Society of the Snow"

J.A. Bayona's latest film offers a fresh perspective on how we can remember the 1972 Andes plane crash

International Business Times · Jan 22, 2024

Dozens Arrested In Ecuador After Hospital Assault

Police in violence-plagued Ecuador arrested 68 people Sunday who had attempted to take over a hospital in the country's southwest in the midst of a "war" between drug gangs and the security forces.

International Business Times · Jan 19, 2024

Argentina Expels Family Of Ecuadoran Fugitive Drug Lord 'Fito'

Argentina on Friday expelled the wife and children of Ecuadoran fugitive Adolfo Macias, the drug lord known as "Fito," as a manhunt for the gangster continued.

Assassination rocks Ecuador amid escalating violence and prison escapes

This content provides an informative perspective on the ongoing violence and instability in Ecuador, including recent assassinations and the escape of a no...

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International Business Times · Jan 14, 2024

All Remaining Hostages Seized In Ecuador Prison Riots Freed

All remaining 136 prison guards and administrative workers who were seized as hostages during prison riots in Ecuador were freed on Saturday night, prison authorities said.

International Business Times · Jan 11, 2024

'They Aroused Our Ire': Ecuador Vows To Crush Gangs

Ecuador's armed forces were engaged in a brutal standoff with organized crime Thursday, deploying more than 22,400 soldiers to put down a campaign of terror waged by gangs that has claimed 16 lives.

France 24 · Jan 11, 2024

What we know about 'Fito', Ecuador's notorious gang leader who escaped jail

José Adolfo Macías Villamar, leader of Los Choneros, one of the Ecuadorian gangs considered responsible for a spike in car bombings, kidnappings and slayings, was discovered missing from his prison cell where he was serving a sentence for drug trafficking.

The Independent UK · Jan 11, 2024

What we know about 'Fito,' Ecuador’s notorious gang leader who went missing from prison

José Adolfo Macías Villamar, leader of one of Ecuador's most dangerous gangs, was discovered missing from his cell in a prison where he was serving a sentence for drug trafficking

International Business Times · Jan 11, 2024

Streets All But Empty In Ecuador As Gang Attacks Sow Terror

Walking fast, with their eyes alert and voices low, a few Ecuadorans flitted about fearfully Wednesday on city streets all but deserted amid an escalating conflict between the armed forces and violent drug gangs.

The Independent UK · Jan 10, 2024

Drugs cartel kingpin, body double and mystery jailbreak: The narco who plunged Ecuador into national emergency

Adolfo Macías Villamar, known as Fito, escaped from prison on 7 January and plunged the country into chaos, Holly Evans writes

Latin Times · Jan 10, 2024

Who Are Los Choneros, the Sinaloa Cartel-Affiliated Group at the Center of Ecuador's Narco-Violence?

The South American country is a breeding ground for confrontation between local gangs linked to regional cartels, analysts say

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