In the early hours of Sunday, a 35‑year‑old key figure in Ecuador’s most powerful drug syndicate was shot dead by men who posed as police officers in the coastal town of Olón.
The victim, David Macías, served as a regional leader for Los Choneros, a group ruled by his brother, Adolfo Macías, widely known by the alias “Fito.” Macías had recently pleaded guilty to criminal conspiracy charges and was reported to have recruited inmates while imprisoned, strengthening the gang’s reach.
Witnesses say attackers entered Macías’s rented townhouse early Saturday morning, firing a volley that left him dead. The assailants left the scene quickly, and no arrests have yet been made.
Los Choneros has received a designation as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation from the United States and is believed to be responsible for a large share of the surge in homicides across Ecuador.
The death follows a recent wave of violent incidents, including a teenage gun‑slinger killing a local gang leader in Guayaquil. Together, these events underscore the volatility within Ecuador’s organised crime landscape and the challenges faced by officials striving to restore order.
Mexican Politician and law‑enforcement agencies intensify a campaign to dismantle the drug network, deploying soldiers and police forces in the region while pursuing legal measures against high‑profile figures such as Adolfo Macías, who remains in U.S. custody awaiting trial.
