
Ecuadorian drug lord 'Fito' pleads not guilty after being extradited to New York
José Adolfo Macías Villamar, whose nickname is 'Fito,' appeared in federal court in Brooklyn a day after Ecuador extradited him to the U.S. A judge ordered him detained until trial and set his next court date for Sept. 19.
U.S. prosecutors accuse Macías of leading the vicious Los Choneros gang that used hitmen, bribes and military weapons, including machine guns and grenades. The hitmen, or sicarios, murdered, tortured and kidnapped people in Ecuador as the gang committed violence against law enforcement, politicians, attorneys, prosecutors and civilians, authorities said.
Los Choneros also worked with Mexican drug cartels to ship cocaine from Colombian suppliers through Ecuador and Central America to the U.S., and shipped firearms from the U.S. to South America, prosecutors said.
'Macías Villamar poses an extraordinary danger to the community,' U.S. prosecutors wrote in a request that Macías be detained without bail until trial. 'The Court should enter a permanent order of detention, as no condition or combination of conditions can assure the safety of the community or assure Macías Villamar's appearance at trial.'
Macías' lawyer, Alexei Schacht, who entered the not guilty pleas on Macías' behalf, did not immediately return phone and email messages Monday.
Macías escaped from a prison in Ecuador in January 2024 and wasn't caught until last month, when he was found in an underground bunker at a relative's mansion in the port city of Manta. He was serving a 34-year sentence for drug trafficking, organized crime and murder when he escaped. He also fled from a maximum-security prison in February 2013 but was recaptured a few weeks later.
Los Choneros emerged in the 1990s and Macías has been its leader since 2020, authorities said.
Macías cultivated a cult status among fellow gang members and the public in his home country. While behind bars in 2023, he released a video addressed to 'the Ecuadorian people' while flanked by armed men. He also threw parties in prison, where he had access to everything from liquor to roosters for cockfighting matches.
A federal grand jury in New York City indicted him on seven charges in April and returned an updated indictment in late June. The charges include international cocaine distribution conspiracy, use of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking and straw purchasing of firearms conspiracy. If convicted, he could face 20 years to life in prison.
"The defendant and his co-conspirators flooded the United States and other countries with drugs and used extreme measures of violence in their quest for power and control,' Joseph Nocella Jr., U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said in a statement.
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The Guardian
2 hours ago
- The Guardian
Mike Johnson would have ‘great pause' about a Ghislaine Maxwell pardon
The US House speaker, Mike Johnson, said on Sunday he would have 'great pause' about granting a pardon or commutation to Ghislaine Maxwell while another House Republican said it should be considered as part of an effort to obtain more information about Jeffrey Epstein's crimes. Donald Trump and his allies, including Johnson, have been under immense pressure to disclose more information about Epstein for weeks, especially amid scrutiny over the extent of Trump's relationship with Epstein. The splits over what to do with Maxwell illustrate the complicated challenge posed by the scandal for Trump, his Maga base and the broader Republican party. Johnson weighed in on the possibility of a pardon after Todd Blanche, the deputy attorney general, met with Maxwell, who is serving a 20 year prison sentence for sex trafficking, over two days last week. The one-time British socialite was Epstein's close confidante for years and his partner-in-crime. Epstein killed himself in jail in 2019. The House speaker was asked about the possibility of a pardon by Kristen Welker during an appearance on NBC's Meet the Press on Sunday. 'If you're asking my opinion, I think 20 years was a pittance. I think she should have a life sentence at least. I mean, think of all these unspeakable crimes,' he said. 'It's hard to put into words how evil this was, and that she orchestrated it and was a big part of it, at least under the criminal sanction, I think is an unforgivable thing. So again, not my decision, but I have great pause about that, as any reasonable person would.' Pressed directly on whether he favored a pardon, Johnson deferred to Trump. 'Obviously that's a decision of the president. He said he had not adequately considered that. I won't get it in front of him. That's not my lane,' he said. Representative Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican who has been pushing for disclosure of more Epstein information, said a pardon should be on the table for Maxwell. 'That would be up to the president. But if she has information that could help us, then I think she should testify. Let's get that out there. And whatever they need to do to compel that testimony, as long as it's truthful, I would be in favor of,' he told Welker on Meet the Press. Representative Ro Khanna, a California Democrat who has joined Massie's effort to release more information, said he did not support a pardon for Maxwell, who was charged with perjury in connection to a civil deposition in 2016 (prosecutors did not move forward with those charges once they obtained her sex-trafficking conviction.) 'I'm concerned that the deputy attorney general Todd Blanche is meeting with her supposedly one-on-one. Look, I agree with Congressman Massie that she should testify. But she's been indicted twice on perjury. This is why we need the files. This is why we need independent evidence,' he said on Meet the Press. After Trump pledged to disclose more information about Epstein on the campaign trail, the justice department said earlier this month it had determined Epstein did not have a 'client list' and did not blackmail anyone. Johnson adjourned the US House of Representatives early last week to avoid a vote on releasing Epstein files. He said on Sunday he favored 'maximum disclosure'. During his appearance on Meet the Press, he defended that decision, saying the legislation being pushed by Massie and Khanna would require the release of uncorroborated information and could harm the victims of Epstein and Maxwell's crimes. 'You have to protect innocent people's names and reputations whose names might be, as you noted at the outset of the program, intertwined into all these files,' he said. 'These are minors in many cases who were subjected to unspeakable crimes, abject evil. They've already suffered great harm. We do not need their names being unmasked.' That kind of argument is a 'straw man' Massie said on Sunday. 'Ro and I carefully crafted this legislation so that the victims' names will be redacted and that no child pornography will be released. So they're hiding behind that,' he said. Khanna also pushed back on the idea that releasing the information could damage reputations. 'Different people feel that the rich and the powerful have been not held accountable, that they have a different set of rules, and that there may be government officials involved,' he said. 'They're going to be able to distinguish between someone who got a grant for Jeffrey Epstein to do cancer research versus rich and powerful men who were abusing underage girls.'


The Guardian
8 hours ago
- The Guardian
‘Get over it': some middle America Trump supporters remain unfazed over Epstein files tumult
It has united luminaries of the far right, from media personality Tucker Carlson to activist Laura Loomer, from tech billionaire Elon Musk to congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene. Typically unwavering in support of Donald Trump, all have criticised his administration's handling of files about the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. But in towns and cities across the US, a more complicated and nuanced picture emerges, serving as a reminder that – like any other political constituency – Trump voters are not a monolith. Some of the US president's supporters are undoubtedly animated by the Epstein issue and urging Congress to push for greater transparency. 'It's the number one phone call that we get. By far,' Eric Burlison, a Republican congressman from Missouri, told CNN this week. 'It's probably 500 to one.' But others seem to be shrugging off the crisis as they have so many others that seemed to threaten Trump's political career. They remain fiercely loyal to a president they believe is delivering low inflation, strong border security and sweeping reversals of progressive policies. They are willing to take White House advice to 'trust in Trump'. That was the prevailing mood this week in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, a former steel town and Democratic stronghold that swung heavily for Trump in last November's election. 'Trump is right about everything, no matter what he does,' was the blunt take of Teddy, 55, wearing a Stars and Stripes hat and sitting on a bench in Central Park in downtown Johnstown. 'Epstein – he's dead, that's it, it's over.' Did he have no concern that Trump's name is reportedly listed in the Epstein files which have yet to be made public? 'That's a bunch of bullshit,' said Teddy, who didn't want to give his last name. 'The world should move on, get over it.' Curt, 51, another Trump supporter in Central Park, who was recently released from state prison, expressed similar views. The only people who were in a nervous state about Trump's relationship with Epstein were Democrats, he said. 'Epstein was a piece of shit and got what he deserved. As for Trump, they haven't come up with any evidence that he actually did anything,' he said. Pennsylvania was crucial in tipping Trump over the line of 270 electoral college votes needed to win the White House. Rural areas in the west of the state responded especially favourably to his promises to bring back manufacturing, reduce living costs and drive out immigrants. Trump won Cambria county, which includes Johnstown, by 68% to Joe Biden's 31%. At the local Walmart, Pam, who also asked not to give her last name, said she didn't believe that Trump's name was in the files. 'Trump has morals – it may not seem like he does, but deep down he does. He wanted to protect the United States when nobody else did.' As for media coverage of the story, she said: 'My uncle was in the Secret Service. He used to tell me that everything you see on TV is what they want you to believe, not what is actually happening.' Trump has been under growing pressure from political friends and foes alike to release more information about the justice department's investigation into Epstein, a disgraced financier who officials ruled died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges. After Pam Bondi, the US attorney general, promised to disclose additional materials related to possible Epstein clients and the circumstances surrounding his death, the justice department reversed course this month and said there was no basis to continue investigating and no evidence of a client list. That sparked an outcry from some of Trump's base of supporters who have long believed the government was covering up Epstein's ties to the rich and powerful. On Friday, Trump denied reports that he was told by Bondi in May that his own name appeared in the Epstein files. Yet interviews by the Guardian in multiple states found Republicans generally willing to give Trump the benefit of the doubt – and suspicious that he is the victim of a double standard. Gavin Rollins, a lawyer from Orlando, Florida, acknowledged disappointment in the way the administration's initial communications raised expectations but praised Trump for doing a 'phenomenal job' overall. 'I think on the Epstein thing, I wish things had been handled a little bit differently,' he admitted. 'I think the rollout was less than smooth. I would say that it's important but I also believe in giving grace to people and he's gotten so many things right.' Jeff Davis, the Republican party chair in Greenville county, South Carolina, accused the media of using the Epstein controversy to falsely portray a divide in the Maga (Make America great again) movement. He said: 'I think the Epstein issue is obviously critical and important but I think what most people care about is that the Trump agenda – the Maga 'America first' agenda – is being promoted. I think [Epstein is] being used as a distraction.' Davis added: 'We can walk and chew gum at the same time. They need to pursue the Epstein thing to the nth degree but I think most people are interested in the results of the things that the Trump administration is doing, as opposed to analysing this issue from the old days.' Sign up to This Week in Trumpland A deep dive into the policies, controversies and oddities surrounding the Trump administration after newsletter promotion Mary Smith, the party chair in Dickson county, Tennessee, said: 'If Donald Trump's name is linked to something, it's like a shark fest, whereas if it's somebody else's name attached, 'Oh, it's no big deal,' and it's swept under the rug. I get so tired of that whole focus on Trump.' Despite Democrats' efforts to keep attention focused on the Epstein saga, some are ready to move on. James Bennett, who runs a lumber company and is Republican party chair in Calhoun county, Alabama, said: 'As far as I'm concerned with Trump, it's about run its course. I know the Democrats are the ones out there trying to put gas on the fire, but you know, the fire's about out.' That may prove wishful thinking. Just 17% of Americans approve of Trump's handling of the Epstein case, a weaker rating than the president received on any other issue in a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll last week. Among Republicans, 35% approve and 29% disapprove, while the rest said they are unsure or did not answer the question. Whit Ayres, a Republican consultant and pollster, draws a distinction between Trump voters who identify as part of the Maga movement and those attracted by his pledges to bring down inflation, juice the economy, close the southern border and tackle 'woke' culture. 'For the Maga group, this is a very big deal,' Ayres said. 'Many of them bought into all the conspiracy theories surrounding Epstein, whether it was the fact that he abused a bunch of kids and then covered it up or symptomatic of a widespread deep state conspiracy protecting elites and the privileged in general. 'For the other people who voted for Trump, it is disturbing but not as compelling as it is for the Maga crowd. They are more interested in whether he is going to be able to bring inflation down than they are in Epstein. That's not to say that Epstein is not a disturbing story for them, but it's more a matter of perspective.' Yet another survey published this week again challenged the conventional wisdom. An Economist/YouGov poll found that Republican voters who identify as 'Maga' were more likely to approve of how the president is dealing with the Epstein investigation (56%) than those who do not (38%). Overall among Republicans, 45% approve and 25% disapprove, with the remaining 30% unsure. One such Maga voter is Mike Boatman, 57, who has attended about a hundred Trump campaign rallies, including the one last year in Butler, Pennsylvania, where the then Republican nominee survived an assassination attempt. His faith remains unshaken. 'I'm backing President Trump,' said Boatman, an independent contractor from Evansville, Indiana. 'He knows more than what we know about the situation. There's more important concerns for me than the Epstein files. 'There's so much that President Trump needs to get done. He's got three and a half years to get it done. Don't get me wrong, I'm against paedophiles and whoever has done that with Epstein should be punished. But there's more important things.' Still, the story continues to dominate headlines and put heat on Republicans in the House of Representatives. They went on recess a day early to avoid holding a vote on releasing Epstein material. Mike Johnson, the House speaker, insisted the Epstein case is 'not a hoax' despite Trump using that very word. The president has been defiant, describing supporters hung up on the issue as 'weaklings' who were helping Democrats. 'I don't want their support anymore!' Trump said in a social media post. This week, he sought to distract his followers by making the baseless claim that Barack Obama and his officials fabricated intelligence reports to assert that Russia interfered in the 2016 election, accusing his predecessor of treason. Next he might try something even more extreme to change the narrative. Reed Galen, president of the Union, a pro-democracy coalition, said: 'My real fear is that he gets us into some sort of Wag the Dog thing where all of the distraction isn't working so he decides to throw up some gigantic bright, shiny object that gets us all in trouble.' But otherwise Galen is sceptical that the Epstein scandal will have far-reaching political implications. 'To me, the flip side of this is: what difference does it make? I shouldn't say that as a means of diminishing the crimes of Jeffrey Epstein or the pain of his victims. I'm looking at this from a purely electoral perspective. 'He's not going to leave office. The midterms are 15 months, 16 months away. Do I think this is fodder for the left and the media and even the true Magas who are like, 'What's happening?' Yeah. Do I think that ultimately, a year from now, we'll be talking about this? Hard to believe.'


Edinburgh Reporter
8 hours ago
- Edinburgh Reporter
TV – Piper Alpha documentary series announced
It was the world's worst offshore oil disaster, which claimed the lives of 167 people. Now a new BBC documentary series promises to give 'the fullest account yet' of the Piper Alpha disaster and its aftermath. The disaster occurred at 10pm on 6 July 1988, when a series of explosions ripped through one of the North Sea's flagship oil platforms, 120 miles off the coast of Aberdeen. The tragedy claimed the lives of 167 people as flames engulfed the platform, with only 61 survivors. Now, 37 years later, The Piper Alpha Disaster, from BBC Studios for BBC Two, BBC Scotland and iPlayer will revisit the events of that night and the months that followed to reveal 'a bigger, untold story'. The three hour-long episodes will explore the rush for North Sea 'black gold', the working families shattered by the tragedy and its legacy on industry and individuals for decades afterwards. Piper Alpha was the most productive oil rig in the North Sea. In 1979 it was converted to also send gas back to shore. An explosion occurred when an out of service condensate pump was started after its pressure valve had been removed for a routine examination. Within four hours the platform was destroyed. A Public Inquiry led by Lord Cullen would later reveal a flawed safety culture within the main US owned operator, Occidental and in the North Sea more widely. It made 106 recommendations for offshore oil safety, but no criminal charges were brought. Piper Alpha was the last major oil rig disaster in the North Sea. At the heart of the series will be the unique and compelling testimony heard in the Cullen Inquiry, from men who survived the disaster, whose words, revoiced by actors, tell a remarkable human story of tragedy, heroism and an uncompromising quest for the truth. The films will also feature interviews with the 'unheard voices' – wives, partners and children whose lives were changed forever, and medics, lawyers and journalists who were caught up in the disaster – to reveal an in-depth picture of the tragedy, the forces behind it and its far-reaching aftermath. A spokesperson for the BBC said described the series as 'an emotional retelling of an unforgettable event with resonances that remain'. They continued: 'This is the story of working families, of terrible failures of safety and of a community devastated by loss. It reveals how the oil boom of the 80s transformed entire communities with new lucrative work opportunities, whilst also putting them at deadly risk.' Emma Hindley, Commissioning Editor, BBC Studios Specialist Factual, said: 'This series takes a timely and contemporary view on the UK's worst oil disaster. 'Told from the point of view of the men who were there at the time, their relatives and loved ones, the journalists who reported on it and experts from the inquiry, it gives a visceral, dramatic account of the event itself as well as the effects on the community and the industry worldwide.' Louise Thornton, Head of Commissioning, BBC Scotland, said: 'The Piper Alpha disaster had a huge impact on communities in the Northeast of Scotland and beyond. 'The series will tell this tragic story sensitively and comprehensively, drawing on new interviews and on the detailed testimonies of the Cullen inquiry. 'Over three episodes the series will give the fullest account yet of what went wrong and how the impact of the tragedy continues to affect survivors, relatives, and the industry.' BBC Studios Specialist Factual Productions is a bespoke unit making premium output in the history, arts, music, and culture space. Recent titles include the Grierson Award winning Inside Our Autistic Minds with Chris Packham; the RTS-winning Fight The Power: How Hip Hop Changed the World with Public Enemy's Chuck D; travelogue Tucci in Italy; and Cold War thriller Secrets and Spies: A Nuclear Game. Like this: Like Related