Dangerous Peruvian Gang Leader Arrested In The U.S.

Gianfranco Torres-Navarro Gianfranco Torres-Navarro, the alleged head of the notorious "Los Killers" gang, is wanted for a series of killings in Peru(U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) By Reanna Smith 07:55 ET, Aug 16 2024 A reputed Peruvian gang leader linked to 23 murders in Peru, was nabbed Wednesday in New York by US immigration officials. Gianfranco Torres-Navarro, the alleged head of the notorious "Los Killers" gang, wanted for a series of killings back home, was apprehended in Endicott, New York, roughly 145 miles from the Big Apple, according to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement's announcement on Thursday. He is now detained at a federal holding center near Buffalo, awaiting an immigration court date. Torres-Navarro, 38, slipped into the US undetected across the Texas-Mexico border on May 16. Infamous MS-13 killer who rampaged through wealthy D.C. suburbs receives life in prison He is now detained at a federal holding center near Buffalo, awaiting an immigration court date He is now detained at a federal holding center near Buffalo, awaiting an immigration court date(National Police of Peru) He was caught that very day and slapped with a notice to appear before immigration authorities, ICE detailed. US authorities sprung into action to detain Torres-Navarro after getting wind on July 8 of his wanted status in Peru. "Gianfranco Torres-Navarro poses a significant threat to our communities, and we won't allow New York to be a safe haven for dangerous noncitizens," declared Thomas Brophy, who heads the enforcement removal operations at ICE's Buffalo field office. ICE agents also clamped down on Torres-Navarro's girlfriend, Mishelle Sol Ivanna Ortiz Ubillus, identified by Peruvian law enforcement as his accomplice. She's currently in custody at a Pennsylvania processing facility, per ICE's Online Detainee Locator System. As of now, online records for the detention of Torres-Navarro and Ortiz Ubillus do not list attorneys available for comment. Peru's justice system confirmed to The Associated Press that it has issued an international arrest warrant for Torres-Navarro and his partner Ortiz-Ubilluz on July 3. Col. Franco Moreno, the head of Peru's High Complexity Crime Investigations Division, revealed to the AP Thursday that they have been tracking phone calls, geolocations, and messages from Torres-Navarro and his gang of at least 10 members. "He is a highly 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 in order to increase his criminal leadership," Moreno stated. According to Peruvian authorities, Torres-Navarro is the leader of a notorious criminal organization known as "Los Killers de Ventanilla y Callao" that has used violence to deter rivals seeking to infringe on its main business of extorting construction companies. Torres-Navarro reportedly fled Peru after the murder of retired police officer Cesar Quegua Herrera and the shooting of a municipal employee at a restaurant in San Miguel in March, as reported by Peruvian media. Plans to build bulletproof glass playgrounds with face ID to protect children from gang shootings Young couple ambushed and shot dead by violent gang while leaving church in Haiti Six alleged members of "Los Killers," which was 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 homicide, contract killing, and extortion, according to the National Police of Peru. Torres-Navarro, once a member of the notorious Los Malditos de Angamos gang, has been linked to 23 murders, earning him the moniker "Gianfranco 23," according to Peru's Public Prosecutor's Office. Despite previous efforts to bring him to justice, Torres-Navarro managed to dodge accountability for his alleged crimes. In 2019, while evading law enforcement, he was sentenced in absentia to a decade behind bars for illegal weapons possession. However, he continued to elude capture until 2021 when authorities finally nabbed him at a toll checkpoint near Lima. His incarceration was short-lived; after being acquitted, he walked free last December. Following his release, the violence of "Los Killers" escalated, culminating in a shooting in San Miguel, as reported by Peruvian officials. Gianfranco's girlfriend, Ortiz Ubillus, is not only his romantic partner but also plays a key role in "Los Killers" as his lieutenant and cashier, say the authorities. Her TikTok account, with a substantial following, flaunts their opulent lifestyle, complete with designer wear, luxury getaways, and gun range activities. Follow The Mirror US Facebook