Men Disguised as Police Kill Ecuadorian Drug Lord's Brother
On Sunday morning, police reported that David Macías, 35, was killed by gunmen who had disguised themselves as law‑enforcement officers. Macías was described as a regional leader for the Los Choneros gang, which had been headed by his older brother, Adolfo Macías.
Adolfo, known as “Fito,” is awaiting trial in the United States following his extradition from Ecuador last year, after the U.S. government listed Los Choneros as a foreign terrorist organization.
Witnesses said the armed men entered Macías’ rented home in an upscale neighbourhood in Olón on Ecuador’s Pacific coast. The attackers fled the scene without leaving a suspect, and authorities confirmed that no arrests have been made so far.
Such strikes on gang figures are common, as rival groups or even different factions within the same organization vie for control. A similar case earlier this year involved a gang leader shot by teenage gunmen leaving a Guayaquil airport, with the attackers using unusual concealment tactics to avoid detection.
David Macías had pleaded guilty in 2018 to criminal conspiracy charges and, while imprisoned, was accused of recruiting inmates to extend Los Choneros’ influence into the prison environment.
The killing adds to a series of setbacks for the gang, following last year’s arrest of Adolfo Macías and last month’s capture of another brother, Javier, in Colombia.
