Ecuador receives wife and daughter of 'Fito' after expulsion from Colombia

Los Choneros money laundering Fito Guayaquil international cooperation

Inda Mariela Peñarrieta Tuárez and Michelle Jamileth Macías Peñarrieta, the wife and daughter of Los Choneros leader José Adolfo Macías Villamar (alias 'Fito'), were expelled from Colombia to Ecuador on September 29, 2026.

The two women were apprehended on September 27 in Sabana de Torres, Santander, Colombia, during a coordinated operation involving Colombian and Ecuadorian authorities with technical support from the FBI. To expedite their return, the Ecuadorian government opted for direct expulsion rather than the formal extradition process.

Both women face charges in the 'Blanqueo Fito' case, an investigation into money laundering and the management of illicit financial structures used by the criminal organization. They were reportedly fugitives since 2025. Upon arrival in Guayaquil, they were received by Ecuadorian Interior Minister John Reimberg and transferred to the La Roca maximum-security prison to await trial.

Entities

Inda Mariela Peñarrieta Tuárez · John Reimberg · José Adolfo Macías Villamar · Los Choneros · Michelle Jamileth Macías Peñarrieta · Michelle Macías Peñarrieta · Unidad de Análisis Financiero y Económico

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 5 SOURCES] The women were detained on September 27, 2026, in Sabana de Torres, Santander, Colombia. elinformadorve.com · www.aldia.com.ec · www.cablenoticias.com · www.extra.ec · eluniverso.com
[● 8 SOURCES] The women are accused of money laundering related to the criminal group Los Choneros in the 'Blanqueo Fito' case. elinformadorve.com · www.aldia.com.ec · www.cablenoticias.com · www.elcomercio.com · www.extra.ec · +2 more
[● 2 SOURCES] The two women had been fugitives since 2025. elinformadorve.com · www.expreso.ec
[● 4 SOURCES] The women will be held in the La Roca maximum-security prison in Guayaquil. www.aldia.com.ec · www.cablenoticias.com · www.extra.ec · eluniverso.com
[● 6 SOURCES] The women are the wife and daughter of Los Choneros leader José Adolfo Macías Villamar, known as 'Fito'. elinformadorve.com · www.aldia.com.ec · www.cablenoticias.com · www.extra.ec · eluniverso.com · +1 more
[● 5 SOURCES] Inda Mariela Peñarrieta and Michelle Jamilet Macías were expelled from Colombia to Ecuador. elinformadorve.com · www.aldia.com.ec · www.cablenoticias.com · eluniverso.com · www.expreso.ec
[● 4 SOURCES] The FBI participated in the operation to capture the two women. elinformadorve.com · www.aldia.com.ec · www.cablenoticias.com · eluniverso.com
[● 2 SOURCES] Ecuador opted for direct expulsion rather than formal extradition to accelerate the legal process. elinformadorve.com · www.expreso.ec