Drug Lord Vanishes from Prison
Leader of Ecuador’s Los Choneros Gang Escapes from Prison
The infamous leader of the Los Choneros gang in Ecuador, Jose Adolfo Macias Villamar, known as “Fito,” has disappeared from the prison in Guayaquil where he was being held. Security forces have launched a large-scale operation in an attempt to locate Villamar, who is believed to have escaped.
Presidential Spokesperson Roberto Izurieta stated that over 3,000 people participated in the operation and expressed gratitude for the courage and determination of the law enforcement forces.
Villamar was sentenced to 34 years in prison in 2011 for various crimes including drug trafficking, organized crime, and murder. He was also a suspect in the assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio, and was transferred to the high-security La Roca prison in a major operation in August, only to be later sent back to the regional prison in Guayaquil by court order in September.
The Los Choneros gang, led by Villamar, is known for drug trafficking and controlling the main prisons in the country. In July, 31 people lost their lives in a riot that erupted after a fight between prisoners at Litoral, Ecuador’s largest prison in the city of Guayaquil. Furthermore, more than 400 prisoners have died since 2021 in clashes between rival criminal organizations in overcrowded prisons in Ecuador.
The escape of Fito Villamar has raised concerns about the ability of Ecuador’s prison system to effectively contain and control criminal organizations. Authorities are working tirelessly to locate and apprehend him, while also addressing the underlying issues that have led to the rise of such powerful and dangerous gangs within the country’s prison system.
