What we know about 'Fito,' Ecuador’s notorious gang leader who went missing from prison
José Adolfo Macías Villamar, leader of one of Ecuador's most dangerous gangs, was discovered missing from his cell in a prison where he was serving a sentence for drug trafficking
QUITO, Ecuador (AP) — José Adolfo Macías Villamar, leader of Los Choneros, one of the Ecuadorian gangs considered responsible for a spike in car bombings, kidnappings and slayings, was discovered missing from his prison cell where he was serving a sentence for drug trafficking.
Macías began serving a 34-year sentence in 2011, but his prison stays have been in style and comfort.
His disappearance Sunday led the government to declare a state of emergency that involved sending the military into prisons, which sparked a wave of at least 30 attacks around the South American country, including an assault at a television station in Guayaquil.
The brazen raid of the station while it was broadcasting a newscast live Tuesday stunned Ecuadorean TV viewers who saw 15 minutes of gang members waving guns, threatening staff and claiming they had bombs. It also led President Daniel Noboa to declare that the country had an “armed internal conflict."
