David Macías, 35, brother of the leader of the Los Choneros gang, was killed Sunday morning in his Olón home by men disguised as police officers. His brother Adolfo, alias "Fito," is awaiting trial in the United States after his extradition last year.
The attackers struck in the early hours of Sunday. Men dressed in police uniforms entered the residence rented by David Macías in an upscale neighborhood of Olón, a coastal city on the Ecuadorian Pacific coast. After killing him, they fled. No arrests had been announced in the hours following the attack.
The victim was a regional leader of Los Choneros, one of Ecuador's most powerful criminal groups, which the United States has designated a foreign terrorist organization. This gang is considered one of the main culprits behind the surge in homicides in the country.
David Macías pleaded guilty in 2018 to conspiracy. During his incarceration, he allegedly recruited inmates for Los Choneros and imposed the gang's authority over the prison where he was held.
His brother Adolfo, nicknamed "Fito," led the organization until recently. Extradited to the United States last year, he is now awaiting trial. Another brother, Javier, was arrested last month in neighboring Colombia.
The murder of David Macías is part of a pattern of persistent violence against Ecuadorian gang leaders, who are targeted by both rival organizations and internal factions vying for control of criminal networks. Last month, a local gang leader was shot dead as he left Guayaquil's international airport by two teenagers who concealed their weapons behind stuffed animals and a bouquet of flowers.
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