Ecuador Cartel Violence: Brother of Infamous Drug Kingpin ‘Fito’ Assassinated in Coastal Safehouse
The younger brother of Ecuador’s most notorious gang leader has been assassinated by gunmen masquerading as police officers, marking yet another severe blow to the leadership of the powerful Los Choneros criminal syndicate.
David Macías, 35, a high-ranking regional commander within the cartel, was executed early Sunday morning in the affluent coastal resort town of Olón.
According to local authorities, the targeted hit took place in the early hours of Sunday in an upscale neighborhood on Ecuador’s Pacific coast.
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The Modus Operandi- A group of armed men, heavily disguised in police uniforms, breached the luxury residence that Macías had been renting.
The Aftermath- The assailants executed Macías before fleeing the scene. No suspects have been arrested, and police have launched a manhunt.
Security experts note that such hits are typical of Ecuador’s volatile underworld, where ruthless turf wars frequently erupt between rival cartels, or manifest as internal purges for absolute control of smuggling routes.
A convicted felon, David pleaded guilty to criminal conspiracy charges in 2018. While serving his sentence, he reportedly acted as a chief recruiter for Los Choneros, successfully establishing the gang’s hegemony over his correctional facility.
Adolfo “Fito” Macías (The Kingpin)
The former undisputed leader of the cartel. Following a highly publicized crackdown, he was extradited to the United States last year, where he currently awaits trial on federal drug trafficking charges.
Adolfo Macías Villamar, clad in a blue T-shirt and grey trousers, is escorted through Guayaquil, Ecuador, by heavily armed, balaclava-clad military personnel. His hands are secured behind his back; he possesses a thick black beard and dark hair.
Just last month, a third Macías brother, Javier, was apprehended by authorities in neighboring Colombia, further decimating the family’s operational command.
The United States has officially designated Los Choneros as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, identifying them as a primary catalyst behind Ecuador’s spiraling homicide rate.
The brazenness of Sunday’s assassination mirrors a string of highly sophisticated tactical hits across the country.
Just last month, another prominent gang leader was gunned down outside the international airport in Guayaquil. In that instance, two teenage assassins bypassed security by concealing their automatic weapons inside stuffed toys and floral bouquets.
BY BALOGUN FAVOUR
