Peruvian Gang Leader Arrested in New York by ICE

Fugitive from Peru known for 23 killings captured by ICE
By Newser.AI Read our AI policy
Posted Aug 15, 2024 8:45 PM CDT
Peruvian Gang Leader Arrested in New York by ICE
A customs agent wears a patch for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency, Oct. 27, 2017, at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York.   (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, file)

An alleged Peruvian gang leader was arrested on New York soil on Wednesday. Gianfranco Torres-Navarro, leader of "Los Killers" and wanted for 23 murders in Peru, was detained by US immigration authorities in Endicott, some 145 miles northwest of New York City. He's being held near Buffalo where he awaits an immigration hearing.

"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," stated Thomas Brophy, ICE's Buffalo field office director of enforcement removal operations. Torres-Navarro, 38, was arrested trying to illegally enter the US at the Texas-Mexico border on May 16 and was told to show up to immigration proceedings. Authorities only learned of Torres-Navarro's fugitive status on July 8 and then worked to arrest him.

His girlfriend, Mishelle Sol Ivanna Ortiz Ubillus, described by Peruvian authorities as his lieutenant, was also arrested and is being held in Pennsylvania. Peruvian authorities confirmed that Torres-Navarro's gang, "Los Killers de Ventanilla y Callao," primarily extorts construction companies and commits violence against gangs who try to get in on that market. Torres-Navarro, who is also called Gianfranco 23—a nod to the murders he has allegedly racked up—is said to have left Peru after the murder of a retired cop. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)

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