logo
Leader of Ecuador's Most Powerful Gang to Face Drug Charges in New York

Leader of Ecuador's Most Powerful Gang to Face Drug Charges in New York

New York Times20 hours ago
Ecuador's most powerful gang leader, whose escape from prison set off a chain of deadly violence across that country last year, was arraigned on drug trafficking and weapons smuggling charges in Brooklyn on Monday.
The leader, José Adolfo Macías, known as Fito, is the head of Los Choneros, a gang that has helped establish a powerful drug-trafficking industry in Ecuador by infiltrating the ranks of government and terrorizing ordinary Ecuadoreans.
Mr. Macías, 45, was captured by Ecuadorean authorities in June and extradited to the United States on Sunday. He had escaped prison in Guayaquil, Ecuador's largest city, in January 2024, prompting the government to declare a 60-day state of emergency while the authorities searched for him.
Mr. Macías, with a graying beard and wearing a green shirt, listened to the court proceedings on Monday through an interpreter. He pleaded not guilty. He is due back in court on Sept. 19 and faces up to life in prison if convicted.
Ecuador has seen an explosion of violence related to drug trafficking. Since 2020, Los Choneros has played a central role in the unrest, carrying out kidnappings, killing citizens and taking over prisons, aided by public corruption, according to federal prosecutors.
Prosecutors say that Mr. Macías, who became the leader of Los Choneros in 2020, has tapped a sprawling criminal network, including groups like the Sinaloa Cartel, to facilitate the movement of tons of cocaine from South America to Mexico, and eventually to the United States. In April, prosecutors announced Mr. Macías's indictment in Federal District Court in Brooklyn on charges of international drug and weapons smuggling.
Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

England's racism claim in Argentina clash upheld by World Rugby
England's racism claim in Argentina clash upheld by World Rugby

News24

time8 hours ago

  • News24

England's racism claim in Argentina clash upheld by World Rugby

World Rugby have upheld England's claim that their players were subjected to racist abuse from fans during a recent tour match in Argentina. England made an official complaint about the taunts on 15 July, three days after winning 22-17 at Estadio Bicentenario in San Juan. World Rugby said it had worked with the Argentinian rugby federation to develop an action plan to enhance their operations, educate fans and help prevent further incidents. READ | SuperSport seeking Springbok commentary depth, Matt Pearce set to return Despite conducting an 'immediate and thorough investigation' involving witness statements and video analysis, world rugby's governing body was unable to identify the individuals responsible. 'There is no place in rugby or society for discrimination, abuse or hate speech, and any complaint of discrimination is taken extremely seriously,' a World Rugby statement said. 'While it is clear that an incident took place, we regret that the individuals responsible could not be identified.' Gabriel Travaglini, president of the Union Argentina de Rugby, condemned the abuse. 'Upon learning of the incidents, intense efforts were made to identify the small group of five or seven individuals responsible within a crowd of over 20 000 spectators,' he said. 'Unfortunately, despite an exhaustive search, it was not possible to identify the perpetrators. 'We will continue to work collaboratively with World Rugby to educate the fans and eradicate any similar manifestations in the future, ensuring that our events are spaces of respect and inclusion for everyone.' England completed a 2-0 series win over Argentina with the victory before ending their tour with a win against the United States in Washington on Saturday.

Veteran Chicago defense attorney Thomas Anthony Durkin dies at 78 after short illness
Veteran Chicago defense attorney Thomas Anthony Durkin dies at 78 after short illness

Chicago Tribune

time12 hours ago

  • Chicago Tribune

Veteran Chicago defense attorney Thomas Anthony Durkin dies at 78 after short illness

Longtime criminal defense attorney Thomas Anthony Durkin, known as a tireless advocate for his clients who enjoyed holding the government accountable for overstepping authority in everything from terrorism investigations to electronic surveillance, died Monday after a brief hospitalization. He was 78. A 1964 graduate of Chicago's Leo High School, Durkin was as South Side Irish as they come, a mustachioed, sometimes salty and always quick-witted litigator who loved going toe-to-toe in court with opposing counsel and judges alike. Durkin was hospitalized in June with an undisclosed illness that worsened quickly, according to friends who spoke to the Tribune. Relatives were not immediately available for comment Monday. A former federal prosecutor, Durkin represented an impressive roster of well-known clients over his five-decade legal career, from Guantanamo Bay detainees to Margarito Flores, the Chicago drug trafficker who along with his twin brother Peter helped build one of the first cases against Sinaloa Cartel boss Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman. Durkin most recently was in the news for representing former Chicago Ald. Carrie Austin on corruption charges. In one of his last courtroom appearances in May, Durkin questioned a doctor over her opinion that Austin was not fit to stand trial — ultimately leading to the judge scuttling a trial planned for November. He also represented Thomas Cullen, a lobbyist and former political director for then-House Speaker Michael Madigan, who testified before a federal grand jury and also twice at trial as part of the sprawling corruption investigation that ultimately led to Madigan's conviction. But those who worked closely with Durkin said he toiled equally hard on cases that never made headlines. He looked out for people whether they had money or not, and lived for the moments in court when he could take on what he felt were overwrought arguments, several of his former colleagues said. 'Absolutely nothing got by him, said Chicago attorney Robert Rascia, who worked with Durkin on many cases over the past 46 years. 'When we would go to court, I always had this feeling it was going to go our way. It didn't always, of course. But I was never worried.' Rascia said Durkin had a 'huge impact' on lawyers across Chicago and beyond, mentoring them and offering counsel not just on legal matters, but on life itself. 'As a young lawyer, sometimes you're more interested in getting the case, in chasing the money,' Rascia said. 'But he was never cutting corners, never making a promise he couldn't keep. He didn't pump anybody's tires.' Josh Herman, another longtime colleague who partnered with Durkin on many big cases, told the Tribune Monday night that Durkin was 'a tremendous presence, whose loss will be felt by many.' 'In an old office, he had a bust of Clarence Darrow and a statue of Don Quixote, which perfectly captured his blend of fierce creativity as a lawyer and teacher,' Herman said. One of Durkin's longest running legal sagas was the terrorism case against Adel Daoud, a Hillside teenager who was arrested in 2012 after attempting to detonate what he thought was a car bomb outside a crowded downtown nightclub. After Durkin challenged the government's eavesdropping methods in the case, the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals federal appeals court in Chicago in 2013 held a highly unusual closed-door session with government officials over whether Durkin should be allowed to view confidential surveillance documents. As famously acerbic appellate Judge Richard Posner ordered the stately courtroom cleared so the three-judge panel could hold a 'secret hearing,' Durkin rose dramatically to object but was kicked out of the room by deputy U.S. marshals. Never one to avoid controversy, Durkin stuck it to Posner outside the courtroom, telling reporters he was not notified in advance that there would be a secret hearing and called the move unprecedented. 'Not only do I not get to be there, but I didn't even get to object,' Durkin said. 'I had to object over the fact that I couldn't even make an objection.' According to a biography on his law firm's web site, Durkin received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Notre Dame in 1968 and later attended the University of San Francisco School of Law. After earning his law degree in 1973, Durkin served as a law clerk to the U.S. District Judge James B. Parsons in Chicago. He set up a private practice and tried a large number of jury cases as federal defender panel member before moving to the other side, serving as an assistant U.S. attorney in Chicago for six years. During his time as a prosecutor, Durkin led several cases 'involving systemic corruption in the Electrical Inspection Department of the City of Chicago,' as well as health care fraud and income tax evasion matters involving political corruption, the bio stated. After the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, Durkin made a name for himself nationally by being one of the first to criticize the overreach of the War on Terror, particularly the Patriot Act, which allowed unprecedented surveillance on American citizens. In 2008, Durkin was selected as part of a joint effort by civil liberties advocates to provide civilian defense counsel to assist in the trial of five Guantanamo Bay detainees charged in the 9-11 attacks, according to his biography. Durkin represented Mohammed Hamzah Khan, a suburban Chicago teen charged with providing material support to ISIS by attempting to travel to Syria along with his two juvenile siblings, as well as Jared Chase, one of the so-called 'NATO 3' defendants accused of terrorism charges for planned activities during the NATO summit in Chicago in 2012. In his closing argument in that case, Durkin scoffed at the Cook County state's attorney's office for bringing terrorism charges, describing the three defendants as 'goofs' who 'can't even agree on what to have for breakfast.' 'If these people can be labeled terrorists, we're all in trouble,' he told jurors.

Brazil Investigates Alleged Insider Trading Tied to Trump Tariff News
Brazil Investigates Alleged Insider Trading Tied to Trump Tariff News

Bloomberg

time15 hours ago

  • Bloomberg

Brazil Investigates Alleged Insider Trading Tied to Trump Tariff News

A Supreme Court judge ordered an investigation into potential insider trading in Brazil's currency markets around the announcement of US tariffs on Brazilian goods. Justice Alexandre de Moraes issued the order on Monday in response to a request from Brazil's attorney general based on local media reports of significant foreign exchange transactions shortly before and after the official tariffs announcement on July 9. The attorney general said the currency movements suggested 'possible use of privileged information (insider trading) by individuals or legal entities.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store