A 35-year-old regional leader within Los Choneros, one of Ecuador’s most powerful criminal organizations, was fatally shot early Sunday in his rented home in Olón, a coastal town. The perpetrators disguised themselves as police officers before entering the residence and conducting the attack. They subsequently left the scene, and authorities have made no arrests related to the incident.
David Macías held a significant position within the gang, which has been designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the United States. His brother, Adolfo Macías—known by the alias “Fito”—previously led the organization before his extradition to the United States, where he currently awaits trial. Los Choneros has been implicated as one of the primary organizations responsible for the surge in murders occurring throughout Ecuador.
Internal power struggles and rivalries between criminal organizations frequently result in the targeting of gang leaders. The previous month, another gang leader was assassinated at an international airport by two teenage assailants, who had concealed weapons within stuffed toys and flowers. David Macías had previously been convicted in 2018 on criminal conspiracy charges and had used his incarceration to recruit additional members and consolidate gang control within the prison system.
The death represents another significant setback for Los Choneros, following the arrest of Adolfo Macías last year and that of a third brother, Javier, apprehended in neighbouring Colombia in the preceding month.