NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. immigration authorities apprehended a notorious Peruvian gang leader, suspected of being involved in nearly two dozen homicides in his native country, on Wednesday in New York.
Gianfranco Torres-Navarro, the alleged head of the infamous “Los Killers” gang, who is implicated in 23 murders in Peru, was taken into custody in Endicott, New York, approximately 145 miles (233 kilometers) northwest of New York City, according to a statement released by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Thursday. He is currently detained at a federal facility near Buffalo, awaiting an immigration hearing.
38-year-old Torres-Navarro reportedly entered the U.S. illegally via the Texas-Mexico border on May 16. He was apprehended on the same day and was issued a notice to appear for immigration proceedings, as per ICE.
ICE stated that they proceeded to arrest Torres-Navarro after receiving intelligence on July 8 that he was a wanted man in Peru.
“Gianfranco Torres-Navarro is a significant menace to our communities, and we will not permit New York to become a sanctuary for dangerous noncitizens,” declared Thomas Brophy, the director of enforcement removal operations for ICE’s Buffalo field office.
ICE agents also detained Torres-Navarro’s girlfriend, Mishelle Sol Ivanna Ortíz Ubillús, who is described by Peruvian authorities as his right-hand woman. She is currently held at a processing center in Pennsylvania, as indicated by ICE’s Online Detainee Locator System.
Online immigration detention records for Torres-Navarro and Ortíz Ubillús did not provide information on legal representatives who could speak on their behalf.
The Associated Press received confirmation from Peru’s justice system that it had ordered the location and international capture of Torres-Navarro and his partner Ortiz-Ubilluz on July 3.
Peruvian authorities identify Torres-Navarro as the leader of a criminal syndicate known as “Los Killers de Ventanilla y Callao” that has employed violence to deter rivals attempting to infringe on its primary business of extorting construction companies.
According to reports from Peruvian media, Torres-Navarro allegedly escaped from Peru following the murder of retired police officer Cesar Quegua Herrera and the shooting of a municipal employee at a restaurant in San Miguel in March.
In June, six alleged members of “Los Killers,” which was established in 2022 in a region along the Pacific coast where Peru’s main port is situated, were apprehended in a series of raids and charged with homicide, contract killing, and extortion, as reported by the National Police of Peru.
Peru’s Public Prosecutor’s Office revealed that Torres-Navarro was previously a member of the Los Malditos de Angamos criminal organization. He is also known by the alias “Gianfranco 23,” a nod to the number of people he is purported to have murdered.
Torres-Navarro has managed to evade previous attempts to bring him to justice for his alleged crimes.
In 2019, while evading authorities, he was sentenced in absentia to a decade in prison for illegal possession of weapons. He remained a fugitive until 2021, when he was apprehended at a toll checkpoint near Lima, Peru’s capital city. However, he didn’t remain in custody for long. Following an acquittal in that case, Torres-Navarro was released last December.
Shortly thereafter, Peruvian authorities reported an escalation in violence by “Los Killers,” culminating in the shooting in San Miguel.
Ortiz Ubillús, Gianfranco’s girlfriend, plays a significant role in “Los Killers,” according to Peruvian authorities. The Public Prosecutor’s Office described her as Torres Navarro’s romantic partner, lieutenant, and cashier.
She also boasts a substantial following on the social media platform TikTok, where she flaunts their extravagant lifestyle, which includes designer clothes, luxury vacations, and target practice at a gun range.
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Reporting from Lima, Peru was provided by Briceno. Additional contributions to this report were made by Associated Press reporters Carolyn Thompson and Phil Marcelo.
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