The Choneros are among Ecuador’s most prominent criminal groups, playing a central role in the country’s recent violence. Originating in the 1990s as a local gang in Manabí, the Choneros have weathered numerous setbacks over the years. In 2011, gang leaders Jorge Luis Zambrano, alias “Rasquiña,” and Adolfo Macías Villamar, alias “Fito,” were arrested. Rasquiña was murdered in 2020, and Fito escaped from prison in 2024, prompting military interventions in the country’s prisons.
This week, Ecuadorian authorities arrested six individuals close to Fito as part of a money laundering investigation. While the Choneros have historically survived such challenges, their future will depend on adapting to the rapidly evolving criminal landscape.
