WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
  • Colombian police captured the wife and daughter of Ecuadorian gang leader José Adolfo Macías Villamar in Sabana de Torres.
  • Both women are wanted in Ecuador for money laundering, and the operation received support from the FBI and Ecuadorian authorities.
  • Macías Villamar was recaptured last year and sent to the United States, where he faces charges involving thousands of pounds of cocaine.
  • Ecuador recorded 50 homicides for every 100,000 residents last year, its highest homicide rate in recent history.

Colombian police announced Sunday that officers captured the wife and daughter of notorious Ecuadorian gang leader José Adolfo Macías Villamar, who was extradited to the United States last year on drug trafficking charges. Macías Villamar is widely known by his nickname, “Fito.”

As reported by The New York Post, the two women were arrested in Sabana de Torres, a small town in northeastern Colombia, according to police.

Both are wanted in Ecuador on money laundering allegations tied to a case now drawing attention from authorities in multiple countries.

Colombian police said the operation was supported by the FBI and Ecuadorian authorities. The arrests place the two women in Colombian custody while Ecuador seeks to have them face its justice system over the money laundering accusations.

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Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella celebrated the arrests in a message posted Sunday on X.

His statement made clear that Colombia would not offer protection to financial networks associated with international criminal organizations.

“Colombia will not be a safe haven for the finances of transnational criminal groups,” de la Espriella said.

The Colombian president also signaled that he intended to send the women to Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa.

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“I will send these (women) with pleasure to my friend President Daniel Noboa, so that they face Ecuadorian justice.”

Macías Villamar escaped from a prison in Guayaquil, Ecuador, in January 2024.

His prison break triggered a sweeping government response and became part of a broader period of deadly disorder inside prisons and on the streets.

Following the escape, Ecuador’s government declared a state of emergency.

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Deadly prison riots and chaos in Guayaquil followed, while gang members stormed a television station during a live broadcast in one of the most striking episodes of the unrest.

Authorities recaptured Macías Villamar last year. He was then sent to the United States, where he has been charged with importing thousands of pounds of cocaine.

Macías Villamar’s organization, Los Choneros, also came under direct action from the United States. The US State Department designated Los Choneros as a terrorist group last year.

The capture of Macías Villamar and the arrests of his wife and daughter reflect the continuing pressure on the gang and people accused of handling criminal finances.

Still, Ecuador has struggled to contain drug violence despite capturing powerful kingpins and deploying military personnel to patrol some cities.

The country’s homicide numbers show the scale of that struggle. Ecuador’s homicide rate has quintupled since 2020, according to the account provided by the country’s Interior Ministry.

Last year, Ecuador recorded its highest homicide rate in recent history. The Interior Ministry reported 50 homicides for every 100,000 residents, a figure that came as voters were increasingly focused on crime.

Noboa’s response to drug trafficking organizations has also faced criticism from human rights groups. Those groups have criticized abuses committed by the military, including the slayings of four children in 2024.

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The four children were between the ages of 11 and 15. The case became part of the criticism directed at the government’s use of the military while confronting criminal groups and attempting to restore security.

Despite those setbacks and the criticism of his government’s tactics, Noboa won reelection last year. Voters gave him another term of four years as concern over crime continued to shape Ecuador’s political climate.

The arrests in Sabana de Torres now put the focus on the alleged financial side of the criminal network surrounding Macías Villamar.

Colombian authorities say the country will not serve as a refuge for the finances of transnational criminal groups, while Ecuador prepares to pursue its money laundering case.

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