Peruvian gang leader linked to nearly two dozen murders arrested in New York

Gianfranco Torres-Navarro, leader of Peruvian gang "Los Killers" and prime suspect in at least 23 murder in his home country, has been arrested by U.S. immigration authorities in New York. Torres was apprehended in Endicott, New York, approximately 145 miles northwest of New York City and is currently being held at a federal detention facility near Buffalo pending an immigration hearing.

Torres-Navarro entered the U.S. illegally at the Texas-Mexico border on May 16. He was arrested the same day and given a notice to appear for immigration proceedings, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said.

"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," said Thomas Brophy, the ICE Buffalo Field Office's Director of Removal Operations.

Alongside Torres-Navarro, ICE agents also arrested his girlfriend, Mishelle Sol Ivanna Ortiz Ubillús, who is described by Peruvian authorities as his right-hand person. She is currently held at a processing center in Pennsylvania.

Peru's justice system confirmed to the Associated Press that it issued an international warrant for the arrest of Torres-Navarro and Ortiz Ubillús on July 3. According to Peruvian authorities, Torres-Navarro leads a criminal organization known as "Los Killers de Ventanilla y Callao," which has used violence to eliminate rivals and protect its primary business of extorting construction companies.

Torres-Navarro, also known as "Gianfranco 23" allegedly fled Peru after the murder of retired police officer César Quegua Herrera and the shooting of a municipal employee at a restaurant in San Miguel.

Despite prior attempts to hold him accountable, Torres-Navarro had evaded capture until now. In 2019, he was sentenced in absentia to 10 years in prison for illegal firearm possession but remained at large until 2021, when he was briefly detained. He was released in December after being acquitted in that case, and violence allegedly escalated under his leadership shortly thereafter.