Colombian Police Arrest Wife and Daughter of Extradited Ecuador Gang Leader
Colombian police captured the wife and daughter of Ecuadorian gang leader Jose Adolfo Macias Villamar, known as Fito, who was extradited to the US on drug charges, in an operation supported by the FBI and Ecuadorian authorities. The two women, wanted in Ecuador for money laundering, were arrested in Sabana de Torres, Colombia. [1]
Colombian Arrest of Gang Leader's Family
Colombian police on Sunday said they captured the wife and daughter of a notorious Ecuadorian gang leader who was extradited to the US last year on drug trafficking charges. [1] Police said the two women, who are wanted in Ecuador for money laundering, were arrested in Sabana de Torres, a small town in northeastern Colombia, in an operation backed by the FBI and Ecuadorian authorities. [1] “Colombia will not be a safe haven for the finances of transnational criminal groups,” Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella said in a message posted on X on Sunday. [1] “I will send these (women) with pleasure to my friend President Daniel Noboa, so that they face Ecuadorian justice.” [1]
Fito's Escape and Extradition
Jose Adolfo Macias Villamar, whose nickname is “Fito,” escaped from a prison in Guayaquil, Ecuador in January 2024. [1] The gang leader’s prison break prompted Ecuador’s government to declare a state of emergency that was followed by deadly prison riots and chaos in the streets of Guayaquil, where gang members stormed a television station during a live broadcast. [1] Macias Villamar was recaptured last year and sent to the US, where he has been charged with importing thousands of pounds of cocaine. [1] His organization, Los Choneros, was designated as a terrorist group by the US State Department last year. [1]
Ecuador's Ongoing Drug Violence
Despite capturing powerful kingpins like Macias Villamar, and deploying the military to patrol some cities, Ecuador is struggling to contain drug violence. [1] The South American country’s homicide rate has quintupled since 2020, and last year Ecuador recorded its highest homicide rate in recent history — with 50 homicides per every 100,000 residents, according to the Interior Ministry. [1] Noboa’s response to drug trafficking outfits has come under criticism from human rights groups, as the military commits abuses that include the slayings of four children aged 11 to 15 in 2024. [1] Despite these setbacks, Noboa was reelected to a four-year term last year by voters increasingly concerned with crime. [1]
Singapore Drug Smuggling Bust
More than S$1 million worth of drugs were seized after a suspected drug smuggling attempt was detected at Tuas Checkpoint. [2] Two men, a Malaysian and a Singaporean, were arrested on Sep 23, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority and Central Narcotics Bureau said on Monday. [2] The 32-year-old Malaysian man was arrested for attempting to smuggle drugs, including heroin, Ice and cannabis in a Malaysia-registered motorcycle at Tuas Checkpoint. [2] A total of nearly 7kg of heroin, about 1kg of Ice and 1kg of cannabis were seized from the motorcycle. [2] On the same day, through follow-up investigations, CNB officers launched an operation near Tampines Street 83. A 41-year-old Singaporean man was arrested for suspected drug offences. [2] A total of about 790g of heroin, 602g of cannabis, 127g of Ice, 51g of Ecstasy tablets and 21g of ketamine were seized from the man and the unit. [2] Cash amounting to S$33,086 was also seized. [2] The drugs seized in the motorcycle at Tuas Checkpoint and at the Tampines unit have an estimated worth of more than S$1 million, ICA and CNB said. [2] The heroin, Ice and cannabis seized could potentially feed the addiction of about 4,598 abusers for a week, the authorities added. [2] Under Section 7 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1973, those who import into or export from Singapore more than 15g of diamorphine or “pure heroin”, or more than 250g of methamphetamine, or more than 500g of cannabis may face the death penalty. [2]
Other Global Crime Incidents
A man identified simply as Seyi has been killed by suspected cultists who allegedly mistook him for a member of a rival group at Ijako Market, Owode-Ijako, Ogun State. [3] The incident occurred on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, when suspected cultists reportedly stormed the market in search of a rival identified as Dammy. [3] The incident was linked to the drug trade. [3] A convicted child sex offender was still missing Sunday, two days after his GPS monitor sounded a tamper alert at a San Diego worksite and supervisors arrived to find him gone, authorities said. [4] Merle Wakefield, 69, was working in Rancho Bernardo when his device alerted to "Tamper Mode" at about 3:30 a.m. Friday, according to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office. [4] Liberty Healthcare, the state contractor supervising him, responded to the location and found the device removed and Wakefield gone. [4] The sheriff’s office said Sunday it shares the community’s concerns over Merle Wakefield’s disappearance and was still actively looking for him. [4] Wakefield is wanted for violating the terms of his conditional release, the sheriff’s office said. [4] He was convicted in 1980 and 1991 of lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14 and rape by force, according to the agency. [4] He has been on conditional release since November 2024. [4]
What to watch next: Investigations remain ongoing into the Singapore drug seizures and the Nigeria killing, while authorities in California continue searching for the missing sex offender.
