According to reports from Ecuadorian authorities and media, David Gabriel Macias Villamarthe brother of the drug trafficking leader alias “Fito, was murdered in the early hours of Sunday, July 12, 2026 in a home located in an urbanization of Olón, in the province of Santa Elena.
Alias ”Fito” is José Adolfo Macías Villamarand according to authorities, is the top leader of the Ecuadorian criminal organization “Los Choneros”, who after escaping from prison in January 2024 and being recaptured in Manta, was extradited to the United States in 2025 to face charges for drug trafficking and arms trafficking.
According to reports from the authorities, a group of armed men, dressed in clothing similar to those used by investigative units of the Ecuadorian National Policeentered the residential complex where the deceased’s residence was located, after subduing the security guards.
Later, they went to a building where the victim was. Macias Villamar35 years old, died at the scene due to the more than 20 detonations against him.
According to local authorities and media, alias ‘David’ allegedly served as regional leader of “Los Choneros”, with influence over illicit activities in the province of Manabí and alleged interference in the Jipijapa Deprivation of Liberty Center.
This event occurs in the midst of the escalation of violence that Ecuador and the government of Daniel Noboawhere specifically in Santa Elena, so far there have been 117 violent deaths recorded during 2026.
