Colombia arrests wife and daughter of Ecuadorian gang leader Fito

Monday 28 September 2026 - 11:25

By: Azzat Manal

Colombia arrests wife and daughter of Ecuadorian gang leader Fito

Colombian authorities have arrested the wife and daughter of Ecuadorian criminal leader José Adolfo Macías Villamar, known as “Fito”, during a joint operation involving Colombian and Ecuadorian security agencies and the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

The two women, identified as Inda Mariela Peñarrieta Tuárez and Michelle Jamileth Macías Peñarrieta, were detained on September 27 in Sabana de Torres, in Colombia’s Santander department. They were wanted by Ecuadorian authorities in connection with an investigation into alleged money laundering and were subject to Red Notices issued through Interpol.

The operation involved Colombia’s police, armed forces and prosecutors, alongside Ecuadorian authorities and the FBI. Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella said the country would not become a safe haven for financial networks linked to transnational organized crime.

Ecuador’s Interior Minister John Reimberg also confirmed the arrests, describing the two women as high-value targets for Ecuadorian authorities. Ecuador’s Attorney General’s Office subsequently said that the judicial proceedings in the money-laundering case would resume following their detention, after the women had previously remained at large.

The arrests are part of a wider regional effort to pursue members and associates of Los Choneros, one of Ecuador’s most prominent criminal organizations. The group has been associated with drug trafficking and other organized-crime activities, while Ecuador has faced a prolonged security crisis linked to competition between criminal groups and trafficking networks.

Macías Villamar became internationally known after escaping from a prison in Guayaquil in January 2024. His disappearance was followed by a severe escalation of violence in Ecuador, including prison unrest and attacks in several cities. The government subsequently launched a major security campaign against organized criminal groups.

Macías was later recaptured and extradited to the United States, where he faces federal charges related to drug trafficking and other alleged criminal activities. His extradition made him the first Ecuadorian citizen to be sent to the United States under the country's intensified campaign against organized crime.

The latest arrests also come after another relative of Macías was detained in Colombia earlier in 2026. Ecuadorian authorities have been pursuing members of his wider circle in a separate money-laundering investigation, with several relatives previously facing judicial proceedings in Ecuador.

The case highlights the growing cooperation between Colombia, Ecuador and the United States in tackling cross-border criminal networks. For Ecuadorian authorities, the detention of the two women could allow prosecutors to resume proceedings that had been suspended while they remained outside the country.

The women are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty by a court. Their arrest is expected to be followed by judicial procedures concerning their transfer to Ecuador and the money-laundering case pending against them.