GUAYAQUIL, EC – A high-profile inmate, known as “the most-wanted prisoner,” has reportedly escaped from a maximum-security prison in Guayaquil, Ecuador, sparking a nationwide manhunt.
Jose Adolfo Macias, alias “Fito,” the alleged leader of the infamous Los Choneros criminal gang, was serving a lengthy sentence of 34 years for a slew of crimes, including drug trafficking and murder.
Macias was implicated in the assassination of Fernando Villavicencio, a presidential hopeful who was killed in Quito last August. Villavicencio had publicly accused Macias and his gang, Los Choneros, of having ties with Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel and issuing threats against him and his campaign team.
The prosecutors are now probing into the circumstances surrounding Macias’ unexpected disappearance from the Guayaquil prison.
In a press conference, presidential spokesman Roberto Izurieta announced that a massive operation, involving over 3,000 personnel, has been launched to recapture the escaped prisoner.
The Los Choneros gang, under Macias’ leadership, has been associated with a range of serious crimes, including murder, extortion, and drug trafficking. The gang is also suspected of controlling some of Ecuador’s prisons.
Following Villavicencio’s assassination, Macias was moved to the maximum-security prison in Guayaquil. The move was intended to safeguard the public and other inmates, according to then-president Guillermo Lasso.
Villavicencio had received several death threats before his assassination. His campaign manager, Patricio Zuquilanda, revealed that one arrest was made after these threats were reported to the authorities.