Wanted Peruvian gang leader arrested in US

Wanted Peruvian gang leader Gianfranco Torres-Navarro has been arrested in the US, authorities say.

Torres-Navarro, 38, was apprehended in New York state after illegally entering the country via the Texas-Mexico border, according to a statement from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE).

He is considered the leader of the Los Killers gang and is on Peru’s wanted list.

He is currently being held in a federal detention facility pending immigration proceedings, ICE said.

ICE said in a statement to the BBC that Torres-Navarro was first arrested on May 16 after entering the U.S. illegally and was issued a summons to report for immigration proceedings.

About two months later, authorities learned he was indeed wanted in Peru, ultimately leading to his arrest in the city of Endicott during a “targeted enforcement operation” on Wednesday, ICE said.

“Gianfranco Torres-Navarro poses a grave threat to our communities,” said Thomas Brophy, a top state immigration official.

“We will not allow New York to become a safe haven for dangerous non-citizens,” he added.

It is reported that Mr Torres-Navarro fled Peru after allegedly killing a retired police officer in the South American country.

In Peru he is best known as Gianfranco 23, a reference to the number of victims he is said to have killed.