Ecuador on High Alert as Drug Lord Escapes and Prisoners Take Guards Hostage
Riots have erupted in at least six Ecuadorian prisons after the escape of notorious gang leader Fito, with inmates taking prison guards hostage and threatening to kill them if soldiers intervene. Fito, leader of the powerful Los Choneros gang, escaped from a maximum-security prison, prompting President Daniel Noboa to declare a state of emergency and deploy soldiers to regain control. The gang's influence extends beyond prisons, with ties to Mexico's Sinaloa cartel and involvement in drug trafficking and contract killings. The escape has led to widespread violence and kidnappings, prompting the government to impose a nationwide state of emergency and nightly curfew.