US sanctions Ecuadorian drug gang Los Choneros and its leader ‘Fito’

U.S imposed economic sanctions on the Ecuadorian drug criminal group The Choneros and its leader, Adolfo Macías, alias “Fito”The Treasury Department reported this Wednesday.

“Drug trafficking gangs like The Chonerosmany of them linked to powerful drug cartels Mexicothreaten the lives and livelihoods of communities in Ecuador and throughout the region” he declared Brian E. Nelsonundersecretary of Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligencecited in a statement.

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O Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of Treasury Department sanctions Los Choneros and “Fito” for “have participated, or attempted to participate, in activities or transactions that have materially contributed, or pose a significant risk of materially contributing, to the international proliferation of illicit drugs or their means of production”.

The Choneroshave been involved in drug trafficking in Ecuador since the 1990s and are a key factor in the escalation of violence that has plagued Ecuador since 2020″says the Treasury Department.

Furthermore, they carried outoperations”from inside prisons across the country, he adds.

According to washington the band managed to control the “main traffic routes cocaine through Ecuador”thanks to the support of Mexico Sinaloa Cartelto whom he offered in return “security and logistics services”.

“Fito” is its founding member and the group’s sole leader since 2020, the US government claims.

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In 2011, Ecuador sentenced him to 34 years in prison for murder It is drug traffickingamong other crimes, but in prison he had “access to cell phones and the internet, which allowed him to continue directing the activities of Los Choneros”, and even posting a video on social media challenging the Ecuadorian government, the statement states.

As a result of the sanctions, all assets and interests in assets of the sanctioned that are in U.S or that are in the power or control of Americans are blocked.

The State Department, in turn, maintains a reward of US$5 million for any information that leads to the arrest or conviction of the instigators or masterminds of the assassination of the Ecuadorian presidential candidate. Fernando Villavicencio in August last year.

Source: Elcomercio

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I am Jack Morton and I work in 24 News Recorder. I mostly cover world news and I have also authored 24 news recorder. I find this work highly interesting and it allows me to keep up with current events happening around the world.