Ciro Castillo Rojoformer regional governor of Callao, reappeared publicly from hiding after the mega tax operation that marks him as the alleged leader of the criminal organization known as ‘Los Socios del Callao’.
The former official, currently a fugitive from justice, gave statements to the D-Day program from a bathroom that, he said, he uses as a hiding place for fear of attacks on his life.
Dressed in pajamas and surrounded by documents, Castillo assured that his escape does not respond to an attempt to evade justice, but to a decision to preserve his integrity. “This is nothing more than a political setup,” he stated, repeatedly denying the accusations of the Public Ministry.
The former governor maintained that he is a victim of political concertation linked to internal disputes within the Regional Government of Callao. “They continue to manage the regional government like a loot, which they are now distributing like prey,” he said, rejecting any criminal responsibility.
Castillo also justified his absence during the raids carried out in December 2025, alleging a delicate state of health. He indicated that he has suffered from insulin-dependent diabetes, hypertension and osteoarthritis for more than 30 years, and warned that a possible arrest would put his medical treatment at risk.
The tax accusations
According to the Prosecutor’s Office, during Castillo Rojo’s management a scheme for dividing minor contracts was carried out to avoid bidding processes, allowing more than 60 service orders to be directed between 2023 and the first months of 2024. This mechanism would have generated an economic loss of more than S/ 1.5 million.
The Public Ministry identifies Castillo as the alleged leader of the network, which would have operated from within the Regional Government of Callao through the manipulation of administrative procedures. The head of logistics, Hiromi Zúñiga Jáuregui, and the advisor Jimmy Alexander Whu Cárdenas, both detained during the operation that included simultaneous raids on 27 properties in the first port, are identified as key pieces of the organization.
During these proceedings, agents from the GRECO Group and the National Police also entered Castillo’s home in the La Punta district, without being able to locate him. Since then, an arrest warrant and alerts at border posts have been issued against him.
“The undignified thing is that they call me a criminal,” says the accused
During the interview, Castillo justified his absence by alleging a delicate state of health, pointing out that he has suffered from insulin-dependent diabetes, hypertension and osteoarthritis for more than three decades. He warned that a possible arrest would put his medical treatment at risk.
Likewise, he rejected the tax versions that link him to an alleged “petty cash” managed by his entourage and denied knowing the suppliers who benefited from the questioned contracts. His lawyer, Humberto Abanto, supported this position and maintained that the amounts investigated represent a minimal part of the total budget of Gore Callao.
“I am not interested in my privacy or my family. The unworthy thing is that they have attacked me and called me a criminal,” said Castillo, who, despite declaring himself willing to collaborate with justice, remains hidden and his whereabouts are unknown.
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