Ecuador's most wanted man and leader of the Los Choneros gang, Jose Adolfo Macias, was arrested on Wednesday (June 25) , said the country's President Daniel Noboa. Macias, alias ‘Fito’, had escaped in January 2024 from a prison in Guayaquil after receiving a 34-year term for homicide and drug trafficking. His escape triggered a rampage of violence in Ecuador, leading Noboa to declare an internal armed conflict and consider Los Choneros and 21 other gangs operating within the country to be terror organisations.&nbsp;In February 2024, Los Choneros and Macias were sanctioned by the US Department of the Treasury for their drug trafficking and violent criminal activities in Ecuador and throughout the continent. Noboa said that Ecuador is proceeding with extradition to the US and has a pending response from American authorities. The police spokesman said no shots were discharged during the 10-hour combined operation by police and the army.&nbsp;A number of officers initially monitored and cordoned off the three-storey house in the Monterrey district of Manta, on the Ecuadorian coast. When they stormed into the building, they found a sliding trapdoor, disguised as part of the stone floor, from which metal stairs led to Fito's subterranean lair.&nbsp;The ‘bunker’ was equipped with air conditioning, bed, fan and a fridge. The house itself had a gym with punching bag and a games room where he could play pool and table football.&nbsp;Fito reportedly put no resistance and was flown to the port city of Guayaquil, home to several of Ecuador's largest prisons. Video of his arrival in Guayaquil showed him dressed in shorts, a T-shirt and flip flops and being escorted by armed security officers to a parked SUV before being moved to the La Roca maximum-security prison.&nbsp;Ecuadorean President Daniel Noboa hailed the security authorities for capturing Fito and said that he would be extradited to the US, against which he has been indicted for smuggling cocaine. Fito had escaped from Guayaquil's La Regional prison in January 2024 with at least two guards' assistance, which garnered international media attention.&nbsp;From prison, he coordinated the gang's operations, including drug trafficking and extortion. He is also suspected of having given the instruction to kill politician Fernando Villavicencio, who was shot dead at a campaign rally just days before the 2023 election.&nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Police in Ecuador have recaptured the country&#39;s most wanted fugitive, drug lord Jose Adolfo Macías. <a href="https://t.co/5lactNIQyg">pic.twitter.com/5lactNIQyg</a>&mdash; Sky News (@SkyNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/SkyNews/status/1938246576339657082?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 26, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Under Fito's leadership, Los Choneros forged links with Mexico's powerful Sinaloa cartel, an alliance which experts say has led to the gruesome tactics commonly used by Mexican cartels - such as decapitations and mutilations - spreading to Ecuador. Shortly before his prison escape, he also appeared in a narcocorrido - a slick music video in which his daughter glorifies her father's criminal exploits. The video, partly captured within the prison walls, documents him stroking a fighting cockerel and chatting openly to inmates.&nbsp;The escape of the gang leader in 2024 was a setback for Noboa's administration. Ecuador's leader had taken office in November 2023 following his election on a vow to tackle the surging influence of the gangs.&nbsp;On Wednesday (June 25), Noboa said that the arrest of the drug lord was evidence his strategy - which involves introducing legislations granting him broad powers to proclaim an ‘armed internal conflict’, and which allows the police to make searches without a warrant - was paying off.&nbsp;"More [drug lords] will fall, we will regain [control of] the country," he posted on X.

Ecuador most wanted drug lord Fito captured hiding in bunker WATCH

Ecuador's most wanted man and leader of the Los Choneros gang, Jose Adolfo Macias, was arrested on Wednesday (June 25) , said the country's President Daniel Noboa. Macias, alias ‘Fito’, had escaped in January 2024 from a prison in Guayaquil after receiving a 34-year term for homicide and drug trafficking. His escape triggered a rampage of violence in Ecuador, leading Noboa to declare an internal armed conflict and consider Los Choneros and 21 other gangs operating within the country to be terror organisations. In February 2024, Los Choneros and Macias were sanctioned by the US Department of the Treasury for their drug trafficking and violent criminal activities in Ecuador and throughout the continent. Noboa said that Ecuador is proceeding with extradition to the US and has a pending response from American authorities. The police spokesman said no shots were discharged during the 10-hour combined operation by police and the army. A number of officers initially monitored and cordoned off the three-storey house in the Monterrey district of Manta, on the Ecuadorian coast. When they stormed into the building, they found a sliding trapdoor, disguised as part of the stone floor, from which metal stairs led to Fito's subterranean lair. The ‘bunker’ was equipped with air conditioning, bed, fan and a fridge. The house itself had a gym with punching bag and a games room where he could play pool and table football. Fito reportedly put no resistance and was flown to the port city of Guayaquil, home to several of Ecuador's largest prisons. Video of his arrival in Guayaquil showed him dressed in shorts, a T-shirt and flip flops and being escorted by armed security officers to a parked SUV before being moved to the La Roca maximum-security prison. Ecuadorean President Daniel Noboa hailed the security authorities for capturing Fito and said that he would be extradited to the US, against which he has been indicted for smuggling cocaine. Fito had escaped from Guayaquil's La Regional prison in January 2024 with at least two guards' assistance, which garnered international media attention. From prison, he coordinated the gang's operations, including drug trafficking and extortion. He is also suspected of having given the instruction to kill politician Fernando Villavicencio, who was shot dead at a campaign rally just days before the 2023 election.

Macias, also known as ‘Fito’, escaped from a prison in Guayaquil in January 2024 while serving a 34-year sentence for homicide and narcotics trafficking

Ecuador most wanted drug lord 'Fito' captured hiding in bunker-WATCH

Luis Manuel Picado Grijalba, also known as "Shock," a dual US-Costa Rica citizen and a wanted drug kingpin, was apprehended at a London airport in December.&nbsp;
The arrest came after US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents tracked his wife&rsquo;s social media activity during their luxurious European vacation. Grijalba is accused of shipping cocaine from Limon, Costa Rica, to the US, according to the New York Post. &nbsp;
<h2>Luxury vacation leads to capture &nbsp;</h2>
Grijalba travelled to London to celebrate New Year with his wife, Estefania McDonald Rodriguez. Despite his usual practice of travelling solo, he reportedly spent $20,000 (Rs 12.27 lakh) to bring his wife and family to Europe. Rodriguez actively posted holiday photos on her now-deleted Instagram account, including snapshots from beaches, the Trevi Fountain in Rome.
Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/truly-iconic-coldplays-chris-martin-sings-vande-mataram-at-ahmedabad-show-watch-8657289">'Truly iconic!' Coldplay's Chris Martin sings Vande Mataram at Ahmedabad show | Watch</a>
The DEA, monitoring Grijalba since his departure from Costa Rica&rsquo;s Juan Santamaria Airport, zeroed in on him after Rodriguez shared a photo of the couple in Paris. This evidence helped the agency secure an international arrest warrant.&nbsp;
Grijalba&rsquo;s arrest in Europe marked a significant breakthrough for the DEA, which had been pursuing him for years. The operation was conducted outside Costa Rica, as the country prohibits the extradition of its citizens. Grijalba later met his wife in Paris and was planning to continue the celebrations in England when he was captured. &nbsp;
Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/health-and-wellness/too-much-meat-man-on-carnivore-diet-develops-yellow-lumps-on-hands-and-feet-8657046">Too much meat?: Man on carnivore diet develops yellow lumps on hands and feet</a>
<h2>No active charges in Costa Rica &nbsp;</h2>
Although the DEA is likely to press serious charges against Grijalba, Costa Rica&rsquo;s Judicial Investigation Department (OIJ) confirmed no active cases against him in the country. Attorney General Carlo Diaz acknowledged that Grijalba had been linked to drug trafficking investigations in Limon but no criminal acts were attributed to him. &nbsp;

Trending | The DEA, monitoring Grijalba since his departure from Costa Rica’s Juan Santamaria Airport, zeroed in on him after Rodriguez shared a photo of the couple in Paris. This evidence helped the agency secure an international arrest warrant. 

Luis Manuel Picado Grijalba, also known as "Shock," a dual US-Costa Rica citizen and a wanted drug kingpin, was apprehended at a London airport in December. The arrest came after US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents tracked his wife’s social media activity during their luxurious European vacation. Grijalba is accused of shipping cocaine from Limon, Costa Rica, to the US, according to the New York Post. Luxury vacation leads to capture Grijalba travelled to London to celebrate New Year with his wife, Estefania McDonald Rodriguez. Despite his usual practice of travelling solo, he reportedly spent $20,000 (Rs 12.27 lakh) to bring his wife and family to Europe. Rodriguez actively posted holiday photos on her now-deleted Instagram account, including snapshots from beaches, the Trevi Fountain in Rome. Also Read | 'Truly iconic!' Coldplay's Chris Martin sings Vande Mataram at Ahmedabad show | Watch The DEA, monitoring Grijalba since his departure from Costa Rica’s Juan Santamaria Airport, zeroed in on him after Rodriguez shared a photo of the couple in Paris. This evidence helped the agency secure an international arrest warrant. Grijalba’s arrest in Europe marked a significant breakthrough for the DEA, which had been pursuing him for years. The operation was conducted outside Costa Rica, as the country prohibits the extradition of its citizens. Grijalba later met his wife in Paris and was planning to continue the celebrations in England when he was captured. Also Read | Too much meat?: Man on carnivore diet develops yellow lumps on hands and feet No active charges in Costa Rica Although the DEA is likely to press serious charges against Grijalba, Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Department (OIJ) confirmed no active cases against him in the country. Attorney General Carlo Diaz acknowledged that Grijalba had been linked to drug trafficking investigations in Limon but no criminal acts were attributed to him.

Drug kingpin arrested after wife’s social media posts reveal location

Ridouan Taghi, a Dutch drug kingpin, was sentenced to life in prison on Tuesday (February 27) for a series of killings carried out by his crew between 2015 and 2017. Watch in for more details!

Dutch drug kingpin Ridouan Taghi receives life sentence

Ridouan Taghi, who is a Dutch drug kingpin, received a life sentence on Tuesday (Feb 27) for a series of murders his gang committed between 2015 and 2017. The trial, which lasted six years, emerged to be one of the largest in the Netherlands.&nbsp;

He was accused of multiple killings being the leader of one of Europe's most feared drug gangs. He was the Netherlands' most wanted man before his 2019 extradition from Dubai.&nbsp;

The 46-year-old is the alleged mastermind of the Amsterdam-based "Mocro-maffia", which is regarded to be one of the Netherlands' top cocaine traffickers.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/co-chair-of-nobel-winning-rights-group-oleg-orlov-sentenced-to-30-months-in-prison-694375">Co-chair of Nobel-winning rights group, Oleg Orlov sentenced to 30 months in prison</a>&nbsp;

Security around the trial remained unusually tight, with judges and prosecutors requesting anonymity. At least three people directly involved in the enormous six-year trial have been assassinated.&nbsp;

Despite being detained in a highly secure prison, the prosecutors claim that he managed to pull the strings from jail and kept sending secret communications to henchmen on the outside. &nbsp;

A prominent crime reporter Peter R de Vries was shot in the street in Amsterdam in 2021. De Vries was advising a suspect-turned-state witness in the trial, whose lawyer, Derk Wiersum, was shot dead in front of his city home in 2019.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-ex-pm-imran-khan-wife-bushra-bibi-indicted-in-al-qadir-trust-case-694342">Pakistan ex-PM Imran Khan, wife Bushra Bibi indicted in Al-Qadir Trust case</a>&nbsp;

A judge, whose identity was not revealed on a television feed, at the Amsterdam District Court said, "We are sentencing all 17 suspects. Ridouan Taghi gets life in prison."&nbsp;

"As suspects, you had to wait a long time for your sentencing, but that's also true for the next-of-kin of victims," added the judge.&nbsp;

During the hearing, 16 other suspects were handed sentences ranging between life and one year and nine months.&nbsp;

Taghi's sentence can be reconsidered after 25 years, but that does not automatically qualify him for release, public prosecutors told news agency AFP. Taghi did not appear in the courtroom.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Ridouan Taghi, who is a Dutch drug kingpin, received a life sentence on Tuesday (Feb 27) for a series of murders his gang committed between 2015 and 2017. The trial, which lasted six years, emerged to be one of the largest in the Netherlands.

Ridouan Taghi, who is a Dutch drug kingpin, received a life sentence on Tuesday (Feb 27) for a series of murders his gang committed between 2015 and 2017. The trial, which lasted six years, emerged to be one of the largest in the Netherlands. He was accused of multiple killings being the leader of one of Europe's most feared drug gangs. He was the Netherlands' most wanted man before his 2019 extradition from Dubai. The 46-year-old is the alleged mastermind of the Amsterdam-based "Mocro-maffia", which is regarded to be one of the Netherlands' top cocaine traffickers. Also read: Co-chair of Nobel-winning rights group, Oleg Orlov sentenced to 30 months in prison Security around the trial remained unusually tight, with judges and prosecutors requesting anonymity. At least three people directly involved in the enormous six-year trial have been assassinated. Despite being detained in a highly secure prison, the prosecutors claim that he managed to pull the strings from jail and kept sending secret communications to henchmen on the outside. A prominent crime reporter Peter R de Vries was shot in the street in Amsterdam in 2021. De Vries was advising a suspect-turned-state witness in the trial, whose lawyer, Derk Wiersum, was shot dead in front of his city home in 2019. Also read: Pakistan ex-PM Imran Khan, wife Bushra Bibi indicted in Al-Qadir Trust case A judge, whose identity was not revealed on a television feed, at the Amsterdam District Court said, "We are sentencing all 17 suspects. Ridouan Taghi gets life in prison." "As suspects, you had to wait a long time for your sentencing, but that's also true for the next-of-kin of victims," added the judge. During the hearing, 16 other suspects were handed sentences ranging between life and one year and nine months. Taghi's sentence can be reconsidered after 25 years, but that does not automatically qualify him for release, public prosecutors told news agency AFP. Taghi did not appear in the courtroom. (With inputs from agencies)

Drug kingpin Ridouan Taghi gets life sentence in one of Netherlands’ biggest trials

At least 30 people are feared dead and 35 injured in a suspected arson attack at a renowned animation studio in the Japanese city of Kyoto on Thursday. Watch full video to know more.

Kyoto Animation studio: Suspected arson attack in Japan leaves at least 30 dead

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