Wife and daughter of alias Fito were held in a maximum-security prison after being expelled from Colombia

The wife and daughter of 'Fito', leader of 'Los Choneros' Inda Mariela Peñarrieta Tuárez and Michelle Jamileth Macías Peñarrieta, the wife and daughter of José Adolfo Macías Villamar, alias "Fito," were held at the La Roca maximum security prison in Guayaquil after being expelled from Colombia and handed over to Ecuadorian authorities. The two women had been fugitives and are being prosecuted for alleged money laundering in the so-called Fito Money Laundering case. Their arrival in Ecuador occurred during the night of Tuesday, September 29. The women were transported from Bogotá in a Learjet 31 aircraft that landed at around 11:00 p.m. at police facilities in Guayaquil. They disembarked handcuffed and wearing helmets and bulletproof vests, while heavily armed agents maintained a security perimeter around the aircraft. Interior Minister John Reimberg and National Police Commander General Pablo Dávila were present at the site. Subsequently, Peñarrieta and Macías were moved under custody to the Guayas No. 3 Deprivation of Liberty Center, known as La Roca, where they were held, as reported by El Universo this Wednesday, September 30. The capture occurred on Sunday, September 27, in Sabana de Torres, a town in the Colombian department of Santander. The Colombian Army reported that the operation was carried out by units of the Chicamocha Military Gaula and the Fifth Brigade, in coordination with the Directorate of Criminal Investigation and Interpol of the Colombian police, that country's Prosecutor's Office, the FBI, and Ecuadorian authorities. Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella confirmed the capture of the wife and daughter of alias Fito in Colombia - credit X The two women were wanted by the Ecuadorian justice system and had red notices from Interpol. After their detention, Colombia decided to apply an expulsion procedure, which allowed their return to Ecuador without waiting for an ordinary extradition process. Reimberg noted that during the operation, telephones and other electronic devices were recovered and will undergo analysis. The official also stated that the women had received protection from armed organizations while they remained in Colombian territory. So far, authorities have not disclosed the results of the forensic examinations of the seized equipment. The return changes the procedural situation of both women in Ecuador. Peñarrieta and Macías were linked in September 2025 to the Fito Money Laundering case, an investigation launched by the Prosecutor's Office based on a Report of Unusual and Unjustified Operations submitted by the Financial and Economic Analysis Unit (UAFE). According to the Prosecutor's Office, the investigation began in April 2024 and made it possible to identify a family and business structure that was allegedly used to introduce into the financial system funds whose origin could not be justified. The agency maintains that between 2016 and 2023, Peñarrieta and another woman identified as Macías's romantic partner jointly deposited more than USD 2 million into the financial system in an unusual and unjustified manner. The Ecuadorian investigation alleges the use of shell companies to channel funds from the Los Choneros organization - credit National Police of Colombia The case file also includes companies and other members of the Los Choneros leader's family circle. Among the companies under investigation is Queenwater S.A., which, according to the prosecution, is linked to members of Macías's in-law family. In March 2026, a judge ordered 17 natural persons and four legal entities to stand trial for alleged money laundering. Among those prosecuted are alias "Fito," his wife, and his daughter. The Prosecutor's Office has estimated that the scheme under investigation would have moved more than USD 25 million, a figure that corresponds to the totality of the operations examined and not to an amount attributed individually to Peñarrieta or Macías. According to case file information gathered by El Universo, the financial movements and cash acquisitions related to both women would total approximately USD 1.06 million. The determination of individual responsibilities, however, corresponds to the criminal process that must continue before the Ecuadorian courts. Part of the case has already reached a verdict. On May 28, 2026, a court found six natural persons and two legal entities guilty of money laundering. Five of the defendants received sentences of ten years in prison and one was sentenced to seven years. The Prosecutor's Office reported at the time that in that part of the case, the laundering of USD 17.3 million between 2016 and 2024 was proven. Fito's extradition takes place three weeks after his recapture on the outskirts of Manta Peñarrieta and Macías were not among those sentenced. Because the crime of money laundering cannot be tried in absentia under Ecuadorian law, the proceedings against both remained suspended while they were outside the country. Their capture now allows the judicial process to continue. The situation contrasts with what happened in January 2024, when both were expelled from Argentina along with other members of Macías's family. On that occasion, they returned to Ecuador without being detained because there were no active court orders against them. Reimberg stated after their arrival that the United States does not, so far, have a request against the two women. Therefore, they will remain in the custody of the Ecuadorian justice system while the process for alleged money laundering moves forward.