Ecuadorian drug lord’s brother killed in police‑decoy assault

Sun Sep 06 2026 01:04:17 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Brother of notorious Ecuadorian drug lord slain by men masquerading as police. The attack highlights ongoing violence linked to the Los Choneros gang.

On Sunday, David Macías, 35, a key figure in the Los Choneros gang, was killed early morning by gunmen disguised as police officers in an upscale coastal neighbourhood of Olón. He had been a regional leader and had pleaded guilty to criminal conspiracy in 2018. The attack follows a recent wave of targeted killings within the gang and underscores the role of internal power struggles in Ecuador’s rising murder rate.

Brother of Ecuadorian drug lord killed by police‑decoy gunmen

About 59 minutes ago

David Macías, 35, a regional leader in the Los Choneros gang, was slain in the early hours of Sunday by men who had disguised themselves as police officers. The attackers entered Macías’s rented home in Olón, a Pacific‑coast town, and shot him before fleeing.

Los Choneros, identified by U.S. authorities as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation, has been blamed for a surge in murders across Ecuador. The gang was headed by David’s brother, Adolfo Macías – known as “Fito” – who is currently awaiting trial in the United States after extradition last year.

Police reported that Macías had previously pleaded guilty in 2018 to charges of criminal conspiracy. While imprisoned, he allegedly recruited fellow inmates for the gang and gained control of the prison environment.

The killing follows a pattern of targeted attacks on gang leaders, including an earlier incident where a teenage shooter reported missing weapons hidden in a bouquet left at an international airport. The Los Choneros leadership has lost several members recently, notably the arrest of Adolfo Macías in 2025 and the capture of brother Javier in neighboring Colombia.

No arrests have yet been made in connection with the attack on David Macías, and investigators are exploring possible motives ranging from rival gang conflicts to internal power struggles within Los Choneros. The incident adds to growing concerns over violence linked to drug trafficking operations in Ecuador.