Wanted Peruvian gang leader arrested in the US
Wanted Peruvian gang leader Gianfranco Torres-Navarro has been arrested in the United States, officials say.
Torres-Navarro, 38, was detained in New York state after entering the country illegally through the Texas-Mexico border, according to a statement from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
He is believed to be the leader of the Los Killers gang and is on Peru’s wanted list.
ICE said he is currently being held in a federal detention facility pending immigration proceedings.
In a statement to the BBC, ICE said Torres-Navarro was first arrested on 16 May for illegally entering the US and had been issued a notice to appear in immigration court.
About two months later, authorities were notified that he was actually wanted in Peru, leading to his eventual arrest in the town of Endicott in a “targeted enforcement action” on Wednesday, ICE added.
“Gianfranco Torres-Navarro poses a significant threat to our community,” said state immigration official Thomas Brophy.
“We will not let New York become a safe haven for dangerous aliens,” he added.
Mr Torres-Navarro is believed to have fled Peru after being accused of killing a retired police officer in the South American country.
In Peru, he is widely known as Gianfranco 23, a reference to the number of his alleged victims.