Latest news with #Ecuadorian
Winnipeg Free Press
20 hours ago
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Vancouver Whitecaps ink midfielder Pedro Vite to extension through 2029
VANCOUVER – The Vancouver Whitecaps have signed midfielder Pedro Vite to a long-term extension. The club announced the deal Friday, saying the deal stretches through the 2029 campaign. Vite has 15 goals and 20 assists in 136 appearances with the 'Caps, including five goals and a team-leading six assists across all competitions this year. The 23-year-old has also made eight appearances for Ecuador's men's national team and helped the squad qualify for the 2026 World Cup earlier this month. Vite first joined the Whitecaps in October 2021 from Ecuadorian first division side Independiente Del Valle. Vancouver sporting director Axel Schuster says in a release that Vite has since shown 'exceptional dedication to his development and that hard work has transformed him into one of the best young playmakers in Major League Soccer.' Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. 'Recently, he's also emerged as a key figure for Ecuador's national team, playing an important role in their qualification for next year's World Cup,' Schuster said. 'Pedro's success is a credit to his talent and determination, and we're excited to continue supporting him as he strives to reach his full potential.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 27, 2025.
The Irish Sun
a day ago
- The Irish Sun
Watch as fugitive drug lord Fito ‘The Lion' is found in trapdoor lair after daughter, 3, accidentally revealed hideout
WATCH the moment Ecuador's most-wanted fugitive, a drug lord dubbed "The Lion", is recaptured by police beneath a trap door. José Adolfo Macías Villamar, known as Fito, had been on the run for a year-and-a-half after busting out of prison in January 2024, when his escape sparked Advertisement 7 José Adolfo Macías Villamar, known as Fito, was recaptured after a year-and-a-half on the run Credit: Jam Press/@EjercitoECU 7 The fugitive was held on the floor at gunpoint and tied up 7 Fito was found hiding in an air-conditioned bunker beneath the floor of a kitchen Footage of Wednesday's arrest shows Fito pinned to the ground on his front surrounded by a swarm of heavily-armed cops. He calmly repeats his name at the orders of officers who bind his hands with cable ties and aim a pistol at his head. Another clip shows where the narco kingpin was discovered hiding. A huge slab of false floor slides back to reveal a hidden chamber extending through the house's foundations. Advertisement read more in world news Cops filmed themselves lowering into the cramped space and showed off the tight air-conditioned bunker which had concealed him. Fito was finally cuffed at the luxury home of his girlfriend, who is in jail, after a slip-up from his three-year-old daughter gave away his location. Before escaping, the convict had been serving a 34-year sentence for organised crime, drug trafficking and murder. His jailbreak sparked a surge in gang violence across Mexico which left at least 20 people dead. Advertisement Most read in The US Sun The country's president, Daniel Noboa, declared a 60-day state of emergency in multiple provinces following the escalation. Fito evaded the authorities for eighteen months, despite a massive-scale operation to pin him down. Ecuadorian police bring end to terrifying live TV hijack and arrest several suspects Several members of his family were arrested a month ago, and many of their assets were confiscated in raids as the authorities tightened the screw. John Reimberg, the country's interior minister, described the sting as a "psychological operation". Advertisement The trail to Fito began when it was noticed that a city transport official had stopped turning up to work - arousing suspicions. Tailing him led the police to Fito's inner circle, according to the national police commander. They noticed he frequently visited a swanky three-story building complete with a huge swimming pool, a fully-equipped gym and a games room. There were reportedly brand new sofas still wrapped in plastic and TVs still in their boxes. Advertisement 7 The bunker was concealed beneath the kitchen of a plush three-storey apartment Credit: Jam Press/@EjercitoECU 7 Tanks took to the streets when the President declared a 60-day state of emergency after Fito's jailbreak last year 7 The drug kingpin is now threatened with extradition to the US But the clinching confirmation that Fito would be in the house at the time of the raid came from his young daughter, according to police commander Víctor Ordóñez. Advertisement In a ten-hour operation, a huge cordon was put in place in the surrounding streets and drones buzzed around the give cops a 360 view. After a fine-tooth search, Fito was finally snared in an air-conditioned bunker accessed through a trap door beneath the kitchen sink. When the teams brought in heavy excavation equipment, Fito realised he could be crushed to death and scarpered out. Reimberg said: "When this happened, Fito panicked. Advertisement "He opened the hatch where military and police personnel were located and left the hole." Within minutes, he was on the ground with guns pointed at his head and being forced to repeat his name out loud. He is now threatened with extradition to the US. 7 Fito will resume his 34-year sentence Credit: Jam Press/@EjercitoECU Advertisement
Scottish Sun
a day ago
- Scottish Sun
Watch as fugitive drug lord Fito ‘The Lion' is found in trapdoor lair after daughter, 3, accidentally revealed hideout
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) WATCH the moment Ecuador's most-wanted fugitive, a drug lord dubbed "The Lion", is recaptured by police beneath a trap door. José Adolfo Macías Villamar, known as Fito, had been on the run for a year-and-a-half after busting out of prison in January 2024, when his escape sparked a wave of violence in the country. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 7 José Adolfo Macías Villamar, known as Fito, was recaptured after a year-and-a-half on the run Credit: Jam Press/@EjercitoECU 7 The fugitive was held on the floor at gunpoint and tied up 7 Fito was found hiding in an air-conditioned bunker beneath the floor of a kitchen Footage of Wednesday's arrest shows Fito pinned to the ground on his front surrounded by a swarm of heavily-armed cops. He calmly repeats his name at the orders of officers who bind his hands with cable ties and aim a pistol at his head. Another clip shows where the narco kingpin was discovered hiding. A huge slab of false floor slides back to reveal a hidden chamber extending through the house's foundations. Cops filmed themselves lowering into the cramped space and showed off the tight air-conditioned bunker which had concealed him. Fito was finally cuffed at the luxury home of his girlfriend, who is in jail, after a slip-up from his three-year-old daughter gave away his location. Before escaping, the convict had been serving a 34-year sentence for organised crime, drug trafficking and murder. His jailbreak sparked a surge in gang violence across Mexico which left at least 20 people dead. The country's president, Daniel Noboa, declared a 60-day state of emergency in multiple provinces following the escalation. Fito evaded the authorities for eighteen months, despite a massive-scale operation to pin him down. Ecuadorian police bring end to terrifying live TV hijack and arrest several suspects Several members of his family were arrested a month ago, and many of their assets were confiscated in raids as the authorities tightened the screw. John Reimberg, the country's interior minister, described the sting as a "psychological operation". The trail to Fito began when it was noticed that a city transport official had stopped turning up to work - arousing suspicions. Tailing him led the police to Fito's inner circle, according to the national police commander. They noticed he frequently visited a swanky three-story building complete with a huge swimming pool, a fully-equipped gym and a games room. There were reportedly brand new sofas still wrapped in plastic and TVs still in their boxes. 7 The bunker was concealed beneath the kitchen of a plush three-storey apartment Credit: Jam Press/@EjercitoECU 7 Tanks took to the streets when the President declared a 60-day state of emergency after Fito's jailbreak last year 7 The drug kingpin is now threatened with extradition to the US But the clinching confirmation that Fito would be in the house at the time of the raid came from his young daughter, according to police commander Víctor Ordóñez. In a ten-hour operation, a huge cordon was put in place in the surrounding streets and drones buzzed around the give cops a 360 view. After a fine-tooth search, Fito was finally snared in an air-conditioned bunker accessed through a trap door beneath the kitchen sink. When the teams brought in heavy excavation equipment, Fito realised he could be crushed to death and scarpered out. Reimberg said: "When this happened, Fito panicked. "He opened the hatch where military and police personnel were located and left the hole." Within minutes, he was on the ground with guns pointed at his head and being forced to repeat his name out loud. He is now threatened with extradition to the US.
New Indian Express
a day ago
- New Indian Express
Ecuador reveals how notorious gang leader 'Fito' hid in his hometown for 18 months after jailbreak
QUITO: Ever since Ecuador's most notorious gang leader vanished from his prison cell in January 2024, authorities have been searching the world, offering a $1 million reward for information leading to the capture of Adolfo Macías, alias 'Fito." It turned out the country's most wanted man was hiding out at a family member's mansion in his own hometown. Ecuadorian security forces recaptured the kingpin Wednesday at an underground bunker beneath a marble-walled house in the port city of Manta, some 260 kilometers (161 miles) southwest of the capital of Quito. In a remarks to reporters on Thursday, authorities revealed further details about their efforts to locate Macías and the hiding place where he spent his final weeks as a fugitive. Authorities had issued an international arrest warrant for Macías, who was serving a 34-year prison sentence for drug trafficking, organized crime and murder in a Guayaquil prison before his shock escape. Macías is also wanted by the United States on accusations of trafficking drugs and smuggling weapons. A month ago, authorities closed in on the drug trafficker's family, arresting several of his relatives, seizing their assets and raiding their businesses. Interior Minister John Reimberg described the crackdown on Macías' family as a 'psychological operation' crucial to security forces' efforts to locate the notorious leader of Ecuador's 'Los Choneros" gang. 'It contributes to a person's conflict, their loss of control,' Reimberg said in a press conference Thursday. But what put Ecuadorian intelligence on his trail was the unusual behavior of a municipal transit official in Manta, who stopped showing up to work several months ago. Surveilling the official led intelligence services to Macías' inner circle, according to Víctor Ordóñez, a national police commander. Authorities discovered that this official frequented a swanky three-story building equipped with an indoor pool, well-appointed gym and game room and outfitted with gleaming marble floors and walls. Furniture was wrapped in plastic and flat screen TVs were still in their boxes. All over the house were statues of Saint Jude Thaddeus, the patron saint of hopeless causes venerated by Mexican drug traffickers. Los Choneros is believed to have been one of the first from Ecuador to forge ties with Mexican drug cartels. Ordóñez also said that authorities received final confirmation that Macías would be in the house at the time of the 10-hourlong raid from his young daughter. In the predawn darkness Wednesday, hundreds of heavily armed soldiers and security officers stormed the mansion and blocked off the surrounding streets. But Macías was nowhere to be found. Security forces flew drones overhead and noticed that the land around the house appeared uneven, with suspiciously altered vegetation that suggested infrastructure and possible ventilation below the surface. The fugitive was hunkered down in an air-conditioned bunker that could only be accessed through a small hatch, its entrance concealed by a cement and tile floor in the laundry room and openable only from the inside. Police brought in heavy machinery to start excavating, and when the roof above his head began to cave in Macías recognized that capture was inevitable, Minister Reimberg said. The alternative was being crushed to death. 'When this happened, Fito panicked,' he said. 'He opened the hatch where military and police personnel were located and left the hole.' Within moments, Ecuador's most powerful drug lord was writhing on the ground with a gun pointed at his head, forced to repeat his full name out loud. Shirtless and with an unkempt beard, a haggard 'Fito' was shepherded outside by a squad of officers and brought to the country's highest-security prison, known as La Roca, or the Rock, in Guayaquil, Ecuador's largest city. Ecuador's President Daniel Noboa announced after the capture that the Macías would be extradited to the US to face prosecution. He was indicted in New York City in April on charges of importing and distributing thousands of pounds of cocaine in the US. 'We have done our part,' Reimberg said. 'I expect the US extradition request to arrive in the next few hours or at most the next few days."
a day ago
Ecuador reveals how notorious gang leader 'Fito' hid in his hometown after jailbreak
QUITO, Ecuador -- Ever since Ecuador's most notorious gang leader vanished from his prison cell in January 2024, authorities have been searching the world, offering a $1 million reward for information leading to the capture of Adolfo Macías, alias 'Fito." It turned out the country's most wanted man was hiding out at a family member's mansion in his own hometown. Ecuadorian security forces recaptured the kingpin Wednesday at an underground bunker beneath a marble-walled house in the port city of Manta, some 260 kilometers (161 miles) southwest of the capital of Quito. In a remarks to reporters Thursday, authorities revealed further details about their efforts to locate Macías and the hiding place where he spent his final weeks as a fugitive. Authorities had issued an international arrest warrant for Macías, who was serving a 34-year prison sentence for drug trafficking, organized crime and murder in a Guayaquil prison before his shock escape. Macías is also wanted by the United States on accusations of trafficking drugs and smuggling weapons. A month ago, authorities closed in on the drug trafficker's family, arresting several of his relatives, seizing their assets and raiding their businesses. Interior Minister John Reimberg described the crackdown on Macías' family as a 'psychological operation' crucial to security forces' efforts to locate the notorious leader of Ecuador's 'Los Choneros" gang. 'It contributes to a person's conflict, their loss of control,' he said in a press conference Thursday. But what put Ecuadorian intelligence on his trail was the unusual behavior of a municipal transit official in Manta, who stopped showing up to work several months ago. Surveilling the official led intelligence services to Macías' inner circle, according to Víctor Ordóñez, a national police commander. Authorities discovered that this official frequented a swanky three-story building equipped with an indoor pool, well-appointed gym and game room and outfitted with gleaming marble floors and walls. Furniture was wrapped in plastic and flat screen TVs were still in their boxes. All over the house were statues of Saint Jude Thaddeus, the patron saint of hopeless causes venerated by Mexican drug traffickers. Los Choneros is believed to have been one of the first from Ecuador to forge ties with Mexican drug cartels. Ordóñez also said that authorities received final confirmation that Macías would be in the house at the time of the 10-hourlong raid from his young daughter. In the predawn darkness Wednesday, hundreds of heavily armed soldiers and security officers stormed the mansion and blocked off the surrounding streets. But Macías was nowhere to be found. Security forces flew drones overhead and noticed that the land around the house appeared uneven, with suspiciously altered vegetation that suggested infrastructure and possible ventilation below the surface. The fugitive was hunkered down in an air-conditioned bunker that could only be accessed through a small hatch, its entrance concealed by a cement and tile floor in the laundry room and openable only from the inside. Police brought in heavy machinery to start excavating, and when the roof above his head began to cave in Macías recognized that capture was inevitable, Minister Reimberg said. The alternative was being crushed to death. 'When this happened, Fito panicked,' he said. 'He opened the hatch where military and police personnel were located and left the hole.' Within moments, Ecuador's most powerful drug lord was writhing on the ground with a gun pointed at his head, forced to repeat his full name out loud. Shirtless and with an unkempt beard, a haggard 'Fito' was shepherded outside by a squad of officers and brought to the country's highest-security prison, known as La Roca, or the Rock, in Guayaquil, Ecuador's largest city. Ecuador's President Daniel Noboa announced after the capture that the Macías would be extradited to the U.S. to face prosecution. He was indicted in New York City in April on charges of importing and distributing thousands of pounds of cocaine in the U.S. 'We have done our part,' Reimberg said. 'I expect the U.S. extradition request to arrive in the next few hours or at most the next few days."
