Fito’s wife and daughter expelled to Ecuador over money laundering case
Key Takeaways
- Fito’s wife and daughter were expelled from Colombia and returned to Ecuador under heavy security.
- Both are under investigation in the "Fito Laundering" case for alleged money laundering.
- Authorities transferred the women to the maximum-security La Roca prison after their arrival in Guayaquil.
The two women were transferred from Colombia to Guayaquil under heavy security before being taken to the maximum-security La Roca prison.
The wife and daughter of Los Choneros leader Jose Adolfo Macias Villamar, alias "Fito", have been returned to Ecuador after being expelled from Colombia.
Inda Mariela Penarrieta and Michelle Macias arrived in Guayaquil from Bogota on Tuesday night under heavy police security. Ecuadorian authorities consider both women "high-value targets".
They are under investigation in the "Fito Laundering" case and have been summoned to stand trial for alleged money laundering.
Authorities allege that a network of individuals and companies linked to Fito's circle was used to move funds.
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"Let us remember that the entire structure of Fito's family was part of the process, or of the illegal management of the economy, the product of drug trafficking and of the criminal group Los Choneros," explained John Reimberg, Ecuador's Minister of the Interior.
According to the investigation, Ecuador's Financial and Economic Analysis Unit detected approximately US$1.3 million in income considered unusual and unjustified for Penarrieta between 2020 and 2024.
Authorities also identified financial movements totalling around US$435,900 involving Michelle Macias.
"Operation Gran Fenix 059 was carried out by the Security Bloc through the National Police, in coordination with the Police and the Armed Forces of Colombia and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of the United States," Reimberg noted.
Ecuador had initially sought arrest warrants to extradite both women. Authorities later abandoned that process and coordinated directly with Colombia for their expulsion.
The women had been fugitives from Ecuadorian justice since 2025. Following their arrival in Guayaquil, they were transferred to the maximum-security La Roca prison.
Fito remains in the United States after being extradited from Ecuador in July 2025, a month after his recapture.
He faces proceedings in the Eastern District of New York on seven counts related to international cocaine trafficking and the use of firearms.
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This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
