US arrests found Peruvian gang leader wanted for 23 murders in his native country

New York (AP) – A reputed Peruvian gang leader suspected of 23 murders in his native country was arrested in New York on Wednesday by US immigration authorities.

Gianfranco Torres-Navarro, the leader of “Los Killers” who is wanted for the murders in Peru, was arrested in Endicott, New York, about 145 miles (233 kilometers) northwest of New York City, the Customs Service said Thursday and US immigration. He is being held at a federal detention facility near Buffalo pending an immigration hearing.

Torres-Navarro, 38, entered the US illegally at the Texas-Mexico border on May 16. He was arrested the same day and given a notice to appear for immigration proceedings, according to the agency, known as ICE. US authorities moved to arrest Torres-Navarro after receiving information on July 8 that he was wanted in Peru.

“Gianfranco Torres-Navarro poses a significant threat to our communities, and we will not allow New York to be a safe haven for dangerous non-citizens,” said Thomas Brophy, director of removal operations at ICE in Buffalo.

Immigration agents also arrested Torres-Navarro’s girlfriend, Mishelle Sol Ivanna Ortíz Ubillús, described by Peruvian authorities as his right-hand woman. She is being held at a processing center in Pennsylvania, according to ICE’s Online Detainee Locator System.

Online immigration detention files for Torres-Navarro and Ortíz Ubillús did not include information about attorneys who could comment on their behalf.

Peru’s justice system confirmed to The Associated Press that it ordered the location and international capture of Torres-Navarro and his partner Ortiz-Ubilluz on July 3.

Colonel Franco Moreno, head of Peru’s High Complexity Crimes Investigation Division, told the AP on Thursday that they tracked phone calls, geolocations and text messages from Torres-Navarro and his gang of at least 10 members.

“He is an extremely dangerous criminal who believed he was untouchable and responsible for 23 murders, including other gang leaders who ended up dead along with their families, all to further his criminal leadership,” Moreno said.

According to Peruvian authorities, Torres-Navarro is the leader of a criminal organization known as “Los Killers de Ventanilla y Callao”, which has used violence to thwart rivals who want to cut back on their core business of extorting construction companies.

Torres-Navarro allegedly fled Peru after killing retired police officer Cesar Quegua Herrera and shooting a municipal employee at a restaurant in San Miguel in March, Peruvian media reported.

Six reputed members of “Los Killers”, formed in 2022 in an area along the Pacific coast where Peru’s main port is located, were arrested in a series of raids in June and charged with murder, contract killing and extortion, the National Police of Peru said.

Torres-Navarro was previously a member of the criminal organization Los Malditos de Angamos, the Peruvian Prosecutor’s Office said. He is also known as “Gianfranco 23”, a reference to the number of people he is alleged to have killed.

Torres-Navarro has evaded previous attempts to hold him accountable for his alleged crimes.

In 2019, while on the run from the authorities, he was sentenced in absentia to 10 years in prison for illegal possession of weapons. He remained at large until 2021, when he was arrested at a toll checkpoint near Peru’s capital, Lima. But even then, he didn’t stay behind bars for long. After an acquittal in the case, Torres-Navarro was released last December.

Soon after, Peruvian authorities said “Los Killers” escalated their violence, culminating in the San Miguel shooting.

Gianfranco’s girlfriend, Ortiz Ubillús, has a prominent role in “Los Killers,” Peruvian authorities said. Prosecutors described her as Torres Navarro’s romantic partner, lieutenant and cashier.

She also has a sizable following on social media platform TikTok, where she has showcased her lavish lifestyle, including designer clothes, resort vacations and target shooting at a gun range.