Ecuador extradites "Fito" to the US after months on the run

Monday 21 July 2025 - 14:25

Ecuadorian authorities have extradited Adolfo “Fito” Macias, the country’s most powerful drug trafficker, to the United States. The transfer took place on Sunday, just weeks after his dramatic arrest in late June following a year and a half on the run.

Known for leading one of Ecuador’s most violent criminal networks, Macias was handed over as part of a high-profile extradition operation. He departed from the maximum-security La Roca prison, under tight police and military escort, according to the national penitentiary service (SNAI). His arrival in New York was confirmed by flight tracking data late Sunday night.

Macias had been indicted in April by U.S. federal prosecutors in Brooklyn, New York. U.S. Attorney John Durham described him as “a ruthless leader and prolific drug trafficker” involved in cocaine and arms trafficking on behalf of a violent transnational criminal organization.

“Fito” had been one of Ecuador’s most wanted fugitives until his arrest, which followed intense international cooperation. His organization is believed to have deep ties with drug cartels in Colombia and Mexico, contributing to a wave of violence in Ecuador in recent years.

His extradition marks a major development in the fight against organized crime in Ecuador, a country increasingly affected by drug trafficking routes shifting toward its Pacific coast. Authorities hope this move will weaken the criminal structures still operating within and beyond Ecuador’s borders.