The alleged maximum responsible for the Peruvian criminal gang 'Los Pulpos', identified by the alias 'Jhonsson Pulpo' and wanted by the Justice of Peru through an international arrest warrant, has been located and arrested in the city of La Paz, the capital of Bolivia.
The detainee, considered a presumed leader of this transnational criminal organization, was wanted for his possible involvement in "aggravated robbery with subsequent death, qualified homicide, contract killing, criminal organization, and aggravated kidnapping," among others, at the request of the Third Collegiate Criminal Court of the Superior Court of Justice of La Libertad, as detailed by the National Police of Peru on their social media.
The operation that allowed for his capture was carried out through coordinated work between the National Criminal Investigation Directorate of the National Police of Peru and its Anti-Drug Directorate, the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the United States (FBI) based in Lima, the cybercrime division of the National Police of Bolivia, and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) of the North American country.
The Ministry of the Interior of Peru has confirmed that the arrested individual has already been transferred to Peruvian territory along with another "accomplice," with both remaining in police custody. It is expected that this Wednesday the head of the portfolio, César Astudillo, will conclude the transfer process to Lima so that Jhonsson Smit Cruz Torres can appear before Justice and follow the established procedure.
"This fall will open many lights and many doors as well," affirmed the Minister of the Interior, emphasizing that the capture of a leader can provoke internal reactions in the criminal structure that facilitate authorities in identifying and locating other members of the gang.
In recent days, the organization of 'Los Pulpos' has captured public attention due to its alleged connection with the kidnapping of mining businessman Jenns Lara Tantaquilla —released this Monday— and with the murder of four other people in the city of Trujillo, in the northwest of Peru.
The Minister of the Interior himself has insisted that 'Los Pulpos' are not limited to a small group, but rather constitute a larger criminal structure that could exceed a hundred members.