Podcast | Gio and Fito: When Gangsta Rap Gets Real
Gio was a gangsta rapper. He was also the right-hand man of Ecuador’s most notorious criminal, Choneros boss “Fito.” *This…
The InSight Take: Ecuador’s Kingpin Strategy Has Tactical Wins, but Strategic Uncertainty
The capture of Ecuadorian crime boss Wilmer Chavarría, alias “Pipo,” was a major victory for President Daniel Noboa’s strategy of…
Mapping Latin America’s Megaprisons
In the three years since President of El Salvador Nayib Bukele opened his famous Terrorism Confinement Center (Centro de Confinamiento…
On the Radar: The Rise of Liquid Cocaine
Could liquid cocaine become the go-to trick for traffickers across the region? Will “El Mayo” Zambada spend his final years…
The InSight Take: Inside Ecuador’s Chone Killers, the Latest Addition to US Terrorism List
The US State Department has added the Chone Killers in Ecuador to its list of foreign terrorist organizations operating across…
Choneros’ Extraditions to US Will Test Ecuador’s Kingpin Strategy
The extraditions to the United States of key members of the Choneros is a litmus test for Ecuador’s kingpin strategy…
José Adolfo Macías Villamar, alias “Fito”
José Adolfo Macías Villamar, alias “Fito,” was the head of the Choneros, one of Ecuador’s most prominent criminal groups. He…
On the Radar: Criminal Shake-Ups in Ecuador and Venezuela as Colombia Votes on Security
Will the killing of Tren de Aragua founder Niño Guerrero have much impact on organized crime? Does the capture of…
Ecuador Says Extortion Is Down. The Reality Is More Complicated.
It was time for after-school pickup at the San Francisco de Asís elementary school in downtown Guayaquil one recent afternoon…
From Airstrikes to Cooperation: Will the ‘New Phase’ of Ecuador’s Drug War Deliver?
Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa says that, two years in, his organized crime crackdown is entering a “new phase” that combines…