Ecuador on Sunday extradited to the United States the leader of a violent gang who relied on hit men, bribes and military weapons to do business. José Adolfo Macías Villamar, whose nickname is “Fito,” escaped from an Ecuadoran prison in January 2024 and was recaptured late last month.

Ecuador’s most notorious drug kingpin has been extradited to the United States, a month after he was recaptured following a prison escape that sparked a wave of violence across the country.

José Adolfo Macías, leader of the feared gang Los Choneros, is the first local drug kingpin to be handed over. His trial is raising expectations in Ecuador over the potential revelations that could em