—RESTRICTION: USERS MUST CREDIT "INTERIOR MINISTRY OF ECUADOR" HANDOUT — EDITORIAL USE ONLY — SHOTLIST: - QUITO, ECUADOR (RELEASE DATE JUNE 26, 2025) (INTERIOR MINISTRY OF ECUADOR - RESTRICTED) 1. PLANE CARRYING ECUADOR'S MOST WANTED GANG LEADER "FITO" 2. SECURITY FORCES AND MEMBERS OF PRESS WAITING AT AIRPORT 3. FITO BEING ESCORTED OFF PLANE 4. FITO BEING PLACED INTO ARMORED VEHICLE—RESTRICTION: USERS MUST CREDIT "INTERIOR MINISTRY OF ECUADOR" HANDOUT — EDITORIAL USE ONLY — QUITO, ECUADOR - RELEASE DATE JUNE 26: Security forces in Ecuador have captured Jose Adolfo Macias, alias "Fito," the most wanted drug trafficker and gang leader in the country's history, after a 17-month-long manhunt. Fito, the leader of the criminal organization Los Choneros, was found hiding in a shelter in the port city of Manta, located about 400 kilometers from the capital, Quito. Authorities reported that the joint police and military operation lasted approximately 10 hours and resulted in no casualties. Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa expressed his gratitude to security forces in a statement posted on the social media platform X. Meanwhile, local media reported that Fito, who is wanted in the United States for numerous crimes, may be extradited in the coming days. Fito had been sentenced to a total of 34 years in prison for murder, forming an organized crime group, illegal possession of weapons, and drug trafficking. Having served 12 years of his sentence, Fito escaped from the Guayaquil Regional Prison on January 7, 2024, taking advantage of a riot. Following his escape, riots and violent incidents broke out in prisons across the country, resulting in numerous deaths. After Fito’s escape and bomb attacks targeting police vehicles, the government declared a 60-day state of emergency on January 9.