{
  "id": 11236152,
  "title": "Ecuador Jails Gang Boss Fito’s Wife and Daughter in La Roca After Colombia Expels Them",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/01/ecuador-jails-gang-boss-fitos-wife-and-daughter-in-la-roca-after",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-01T16:52:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Rio Times",
    "slug": "the-rio-times",
    "url": "https://www.riotimesonline.com/ecuador-fito-wife-daughter-la-roca-deported-colombia-2026/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In a dramatic turn of events, the wife and daughter of Ecuador’s infamous gang leader, Fito, have found themselves behind bars at La Roca, a high-security prison in Guayaquil. Colombia expelled the trio on September 29, just two days after their arrest. The women, Inda Mariela PeñaRey Turiazi and Michelle Jamileth Macías PeñaRey, face trial for alleged money laundering involving over US$25.8 million. Their trial had been temporarily suspended while they were on the run.\n\nThe arrest of the women took place on September 27 in Sabana de Torres, Colombia’s Santander department. The operation was a collaborative effort involving Ecuador’s police, intelligence center, Colombian forces, and the FBI. This arresting detail was first reported by Colombia Holds Ecuador Gang Boss’s Wife, Daughter in US$25M Laundering Case.\n\nUpon arrival at Guayaquil's police air base around 11 PM on September 29, the women were promptly taken into custody. Interior Minister John Reimberg explained that Colombia expelled the women for utilizing false identities. Their husband and father, José Adolfo Macías, also known as “Fito,” is the leader of the Los Choneros gang. Fito was recaptured in June 2025 and extradited to the United States, where he is currently facing drug and weapons charges.\n\nLa Roca, previously housing Fito himself before his extradition, has been transformed into a maximum-security prison for women. In November 2025, the prison received 61 women, primarily those involved in major corruption cases. The prison operates on a one-to-a-cell basis, with strict protocols limiting contact between inmates and guards.\n\nThe case against the women, dubbed “Blanqueo Fito,” centers on the alleged involvement of a network of companies and relatives in laundering funds exceeding US$25.8 million tied to Fito. Ecuador’s financial intelligence unit (UAFE) flagged approximately US$1.3 million in unexplained income for the wife between 2020 and 2024, and US$435,900 in deposits for the daughter over the same period.\n\nIn March 2026, a judge ordered the trial of 17 individuals and four companies associated with the gang. Reimberg confirmed on September 29 that both women allegedly ran cash lending operations for Los Choneros, a claim awaiting legal validation. Interestingly, Argentina had previously deported these women in January 2024, as no active arrest warrants were in place. However, this time, they arrived in Ecuador with Interpol red notices and valid warrants, leading to their immediate imprisonment instead of release.\n\nAs for the next steps, the resumption of the women's hearings remains undecided, as does whether US prosecutors will pursue them in Fito’s own case. Neither woman has been convicted, and both are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Their defense has not yet been publicly disclosed.",
  "summary": "Colombia expelled the wife and daughter of Ecuador gang boss Fito. They are now in La Roca prison as a US$25.8 million laundering trial resumes. The post Ecuador Jails Gang Boss Fito’s Wife and Daughter in La Roca After Colombia Expels Them appeared first on The Rio Times .",
  "key_points": [
    "Wife and daughter of Ecuador's gang leader Fito jailed in La Roca prison.",
    "Expelled from Colombia on September 29 after arrest on September 27.",
    "Charged with alleged money laundering involving over US$25.8 million."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}