Ecuadorean authorities have recaptured the country's most-wanted fugitive, drug lord José Adolfo Macías Villamar, known by his alias "Fito," following a dramatic 10-hour operation that ended more than a year on the run.

President Daniel Noboa announced the arrest on June 25, confirming that the leader of the Los Choneros criminal organisation had been apprehended by special military forces in Manta, a fishing port in western Ecuador.

"Fito was captured today and is in the hands of the Security Block. My recognition to our police and military who participated in this operation. More will fall, we will recover the country. No truce," Noboa wrote on X.

The 44-year-old gang leader's escape from Guayaquil Regional Prison in January 2024 sparked an unprecedented wave of violence across Ecuador, transforming the once-tranquil nation into a battleground between rival criminal organisations. His disappearance became known on January 7 2024 during a routine weapons inspection at the facility.

The dramatic capture reportedly took place at a luxury residence where Macías Villamar was discovered hiding in an underground bunker accessed through a concealed trap door beneath floor tiles, according to local media reports.

Noboa credited recently approved Solidarity and Intelligence laws for enabling the successful operation and confirmed Ecuador's intention to proceed with extradition proceedings to the United States.

"We have done our part to proceed with 'Fito's' extradition to the US; we are waiting for his response," the president added.

American prosecutors have charged Macías Villamar in absentia with seven federal counts, including cocaine distribution conspiracy and firearms-related crimes. The charges were filed by the New York District Attorney's Office in April, describing him as a "ruthless and prolific drug trafficking leader."

The drug lord had been serving a 34-year sentence for organised crime, drug trafficking and murder when he vanished before a planned transfer to La Roca, a maximum-security facility. His escape triggered immediate chaos, with prison riots erupting and four police officers taken hostage.

In one of the most brazen incidents, armed men wearing balaclavas stormed a television station during a live broadcast, forcing terrified crew members to the ground whilst firing shots. The crisis prompted Noboa to declare a state of "internal armed conflict" and deploy military forces to combat what the government classified as terrorist organisations.

The violence claimed approximately 20 lives and forced the government to impose a 60-day state of emergency across nearly a third of the country's provinces.

Los Choneros, which controls drug trafficking operations in the coastal province of Manabí, is alleged to have established significant ties with Mexico's Sinaloa cartel. US prosecutors claim the organisation collaborates with the Mexican group to control crucial trafficking routes between South America and the United States.

Ecuador's government had offered a reward of $1mn for information leading to Macías Villamar's capture. If convicted on the American charges, he faces life imprisonment.

The US Embassy in Quito welcomed the arrest, stating on X in Spanish that Washington "supports Ecuador in its efforts to combat transnational crime for the security of the region."

Interior Minister John Reimberg celebrated the operation's success, posting on social media: "Nothing and no one is above the Law!"

Ecuador, positioned between the world's two largest cocaine producers Colombia and Peru, has experienced escalating violence in recent years as criminal gangs compete for territorial control and forge alliances with international cartels. Much of the conflict has centred on the country's prison system, where Macías Villamar previously wielded considerable influence.

The drug lord was also considered a suspect in the assassination of presidential candidate and anti-corruption campaigner Fernando Villavicencio in 2023, though no formal charges were brought in connection with that case.

His family members were located and deported from Argentina's Córdoba province shortly after his escape, though Macías Villamar himself remained at large until the June 25 operation.