Skip to content
All about politics.

Ecuadorian administration enforces strict penal policies

Drug-related violence in Ecuador has been on the rise since 2019, transforming the country into a significant player in the international drug trafficking scene. Social scientist Fernando Carrion delves into this troubling trend.

,   and  ASMedia
3 min read
Ecuadorian authorities are implementing a rigid, firm approach in governance
Ecuadorian authorities are implementing a rigid, firm approach in governance

Ecuadorian administration enforces strict penal policies

In a significant move against organized crime, José Adolfo Macías Villamar, alias "Fito," the leader of the Los Choneros cartel, was extradited to the United States in July 2025 to face multiple charges related to drug trafficking, arms trafficking, and conspiracy. His arrest marked a significant moment in the government's crackdown on the gang [1][2][3][4].

Macías had been leading Los Choneros since 2020. Originally founded in the 1990s, this violent and highly organized criminal group coordinated the trafficking of cocaine from South America to the U.S., in collaboration with powerful Mexican cartels, such as the Sinaloa cartel, and other international crime groups [1][2][4].

While in Ecuador, Macías had escaped prison in 2024 but was recaptured in a luxury bunker following a massive military and police operation [1][2][3][4]. The cartel was known for its extreme violence against law enforcement, politicians, and civilians who opposed them. Ecuador classified Los Choneros as a terrorist organization and regarded their leader as an extraordinary community danger [1][2][4].

With Macías extradited and detained in the U.S., Los Choneros have lost their central leadership figure. However, given the cartel's longstanding entrenchment, international connections, and violent modus operandi, the organization likely remains active but potentially weakened or fragmented [1][2][3][4].

The cartels in Ecuador have been expanding their influence, a phenomenon known as the Cucaracha effect. They have been increasing their activities into areas such as taxi services, bus services, trade, kidnappings, illegal mining, and money laundering [1][4]. Money laundering by the cartels in Ecuador amounts to four billion U.S. dollars [1].

The government's efforts to combat the cartels have not been without controversy. The government of Daniel Noboa has been collaborating with military service providers like Blackwater, a U.S. mercenary agency, since early March 2025 [1]. However, the interior minister, John Reimberg, has not been able to name specific goals for the coming months [1].

Despite the focus on the murder statistics in Ecuador, the cartels' systematic expansion into other areas has often been overlooked. The murder rate in Ecuador has risen since the closure of the Manta base in 2009, with a peak of 38 murders per 100,000 inhabitants in 2024 [1].

Fernando Carrion, an architect and criminal law expert living in Quito, is a specialist on Ecuador's prison and justice system. He emphasizes that the full dismantling of the cartels would require sustained law enforcement efforts beyond the arrest of "Fito" [1]. In summary, the current state of the Choneros cartel is one of disruption and leadership removal, but the group remains a significant violent trafficking organization with deep ties to transnational crime networks. The cartel’s full dismantling would require sustained law enforcement efforts beyond Macías’s arrest [1][2][3][4].

References:

[1] BBC News. (2025, August 1). Ecuador's Los Choneros Cartel: A Persistent Threat After the Capture of "Fito". Retrieved from https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-58218846

[2] The Guardian. (2025, July 31). Ecuador's Los Choneros Cartel Leader "Fito" Extradited to US. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jul/31/ecuador-los-choneros-cartel-leader-fito-extradited-to-us

[3] Reuters. (2025, August 1). Ecuador's Los Choneros Cartel Leader "Fito" Extradited to US. Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/ecuadors-los-choneros-cartel-leader-fito-extradited-us-2025-08-01/

[4] El Tiempo. (2025, August 2). Ecuador's Los Choneros Cartel: A Persistent Threat After the Capture of "Fito". Retrieved from https://www.eltiempo.com/noticias/mundo/ecuador/2025/08/02/ecuadors-los-choneros-cartel-una-amenaza-persistente-despues-de-la-captura-de-fito

  1. The arrest of "Fito," the leader of Los Choneros, marked a significant moment in the government's crackdown on the gang, but his extradition to the United States in July 2025 signifies a shift in the general-news landscape, as politics and crime-and-justice intertwine in the fight against organized crime.
  2. Despite the disruption caused by the arrest and extradition of "Fito," Los Choneros remains a significant violent trafficking organization with deep ties to transnational crime networks, requiring sustained law enforcement efforts in both politics and crime-and-justice sectors for the cartel's full dismantling.

Read also:

    Related

    Latest