Colombia arrests wife, daughter of Ecuadorian drug lord ‘Fito’

Colombian authorities have arrested the wife and daughter of Ecuadorian drug kingpin Adolfo Macías, widely known as “Fito,” who was extradited to the United States last year.

Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella announced the arrests on Sunday, saying the operation was carried out in northeastern Colombia with the involvement of the FBI and Ecuadorian authorities.

The suspects were identified as Inda Mariela Peñarrieta Tuárez and Michelle Jamileth Macías Peñarrieta. Both women are wanted in Ecuador over allegations of money laundering.

Macías, the alleged leader of the Los Choneros criminal group, has been described as one of Ecuador’s most influential organised crime figures. The gang has established links with Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel.

According to De la Espriella, Ecuadorian investigators believe the two women used front companies to conceal and move funds allegedly connected to Los Choneros.

“I will gladly send them to my good friend, President Daniel Noboa, so they can answer to Ecuadorian justice,” De la Espriella wrote on X, alongside photographs and video footage from the operation.

He added that Colombia would not become a safe haven for the financial networks of international criminal organisations.

Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa responded on X, saying: “That’s how we work, Abelardo: together and with results.”

Fito’s prison escape

Macías was serving a 34-year prison sentence for drug trafficking and murder when he was discovered missing from his cell in Quito in January 2024.

His escape triggered widespread unrest and prompted Ecuadorian authorities to declare a 60-day state of emergency. He was eventually recaptured and extradited to the United States last year.

In New York, Macías is facing seven criminal charges, including drug and weapons trafficking. The charges carry potential prison sentences ranging from 20 years to life imprisonment. He has pleaded not guilty.

The United States designated Los Choneros as a terrorist organisation last year, while Ecuador has also classified the gang among 20 criminal groups as terrorist organisations.

Ecuador’s growing drug trade

Ecuador, once regarded as one of Latin America’s safer countries, has increasingly become an important transit point for cocaine produced in neighbouring Colombia and Peru and destined for international markets.

Mexican drug cartels have developed relationships with Ecuadorian criminal groups, including Los Choneros, as rival organisations compete for control of ports, maritime routes and other parts of the drug trade.

Another senior Los Choneros figure, Dario Peñafiel, known by the alias “Topo,” was arrested in Ecuador’s Amazon region last September. Authorities suspected him of coordinating illegal mining activities.

Credit: AFP / Bangkok Post