Villavicencio case suspect among nine sent to face international justice
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa announced Thursday the extradition of three men wanted by U.S. authorities, including a businessman accused of involvement in the assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio and an alleged member of the Los Choneros criminal organization.
The men were identified as Daniel Salcedo Bonilla, former police officer Ronald Herrera Ramírez and Francisco Manuel Bermúdez Cagua, known as “Churrón,” whom Ecuadorian authorities have described as a lieutenant of Los Choneros leader José Adolfo Macías Villamar, known as “Fito.”
Noboa wrote on X: “Daniel Salcedo, Ronald Herrera y alias Churrón fueron extraditados. Con ellos, ya son nueve los enviados a responder ante la justicia internacional.” He added that the fight against crime does not end at Ecuador’s borders and that recovering tranquility for Ecuadorians demands firmness.
Salcedo and Herrera face federal charges in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York involving conspiracy to import narcotics and machine guns, according to extradition documents reviewed by Ecuadorian newspaper El Universo. Salcedo faces two additional counts involving money laundering.
U.S. prosecutors allege that Salcedo and Herrera conspired between 2023 and 2026 to transport Colombian cocaine through Ecuador to international markets. According to El Universo, investigators identified two attempted shipments of approximately 1 metric ton (2,205 pounds) each, one intended for Mexico and eventually the United States and another for Europe. The shipments were seized in Ecuador and Panama, respectively.
Investigators also allege that Salcedo laundered millions of dollars in drug trafficking proceeds through the U.S. financial system, including transactions involving cryptocurrencies. Ecuadorian broadcaster Ecuavisa reported that the U.S. investigation includes an alleged shipment of 33 pounds of cocaine to Miami in February.
Salcedo has previously been convicted in Ecuador in corruption and organized crime cases, and he faces proceedings related to the August 2023 assassination of Villavicencio, who was shot outside a campaign event in Quito 11 days before the country’s presidential election. Ecuadorian prosecutors have identified Salcedo as a suspected participant in the planning of the assassination. Herrera, a former police lieutenant, has served as a protected witness in the investigation.
A judge postponed a hearing that could determine whether Salcedo and six other defendants will stand trial until Nov. 5, Ecuadorian magazine Vistazo reported Wednesday.
Bermúdez is allegedly associated with Los Choneros, one of Ecuador’s most prominent criminal organizations. Interior Minister John Reimberg previously said Bermúdez had accepted extradition and that authorities were working to include him on the same flight as Salcedo and Herrera.
Ecuador’s National Court of Justice authorized the extradition of Salcedo and Herrera on Oct. 1 after both agreed to be transferred to U.S. custody. The court said the limitation periods applicable to their Ecuadorian cases and sentences would be suspended after their extradition.
The transfers come amid increased cooperation between Ecuador and the United States against international drug trafficking networks, as Ecuador continues to confront violence associated with organized crime.