[REVISION HISTORY]

Investigation into Los Choneros financial networks

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2026-09-29 14:57 UTC → 2026-10-04 21:04 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Colombian authorities, supported by the FBI and Ecuadorian intelligence, arrested Inda Mariela Peñarrieta Tuárez and Michelle Jamileth Macías Peñarrieta in Sabana de Torres, Santander. The women, identified as the wife and daughter of José Adolfo Macías Villamar, known as ‘Fito’, were subject to Interpol Red Notices. The arrests are linked to the ‘Blanqueo Fito’ investigation, which targets the financial networks of the Los Choneros criminal organization. The women face accusations in Ecuador of laundering more than 25 million dollars through shell companies. Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella confirmed the operation, stating that Colombia will not serve as a refuge for transnational criminal finances, and confirmed the women would be extradited to Ecuador. Following the arrests, Inda Mariela Peñarrieta Tuárez filed a legal claim to recover a 1,013-square-meter property in Manta that had been seized as part of the investigation. Her defense argued the land belongs to two minors and cited a cadastral error, while prosecutors opposed the request, noting her status as a fugitive at the time of the filing. New details from the investigation reveal that the pair had been tracked for six months by the DIJIN, the FBI, and the Colombian Army. To evade detection while moving through cities such as Cali, Medellín, and Bogotá, they reportedly used false documents and a red wig to alter their appearance. Los Choneros is classified as a terrorist organization by the United States and Ecuador. This operation follows the 2025 extradition of alias Fito to the United States, where he faces multiple charges including drug and arms trafficking. Ecuadorian Interior Minister John Reimberg described the detainees as ‘high-value targets’ and noted they are expected to be sent to the La Roca maximum-security prison in Guayaquil.

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