The criminal organization called “Los Compadres” would be behind the attack perpetrated this January 20 against the Public Ministry of Trujillo, La Libertadaccording to police information collected by La República. This is a criminal group that has operated since 2017 from the troubled district of La Esperanza.
They are accused of several murders, including that of PNP non-commissioned officer Joel Vásquez Gutiérrez, which occurred in 2019. Likewise, they would be involved in hitmen, branding, extortion, aggravated robbery, illegal possession of weapons, among others. Their victims were neighbors, merchants and public transport companies.
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“Los Compadres” would have been formed with remnants of “Los Malditos del Triunfo” and “La Jauría”. A few years ago, several of its alleged members were captured in an operation by the Prosecutor’s Office and the PNP. This would be the origin of everything.
The authorities indicated that the order for the attack would have been given by Jimmy Bazán Valderrama, known as C Pequeno or Chato Jimmy, captured in 2022 as part of “Los Compadres.” He sought to pressure the prosecutor to achieve his freedom.
It was learned that they raided his cell in the Huacariz prison and found evidence of threats to the prosecutor who was investigating his organization. He will be transferred in the next few hours to the Challapalca prison.
Authority in the spotlight
The attack perpetrated at 12:30 in the morning against the main tax headquarters of said region, located on Jesús de Nazareth and Alcides Carrión avenues, would have been the culmination of a series of death threats. They had in their sights a prosecutor specialized in organized crime cases, including that of “Los Compadres.” His identity was kept confidential for security. However, at a press conference, the Minister of the Interior, Juan José Santiváñez, revealed the surname. The prosecutor, two hours after the attack, would have received new messages with the same request in favor of “C Pequeno.”
There are more threats against prosecutors
The president of the Board of Prosecutors of La Libertad, Luis Guillermo Bringas, spoke. “Prosecutors in La Libertad have been receiving threats for months due to the investigations we lead against organized crime. However, these actions will not stop our work. We will continue to do our work, always respecting the Constitution and the laws,” he stated.
He called on the Executive to strengthen the legal framework against organized crime. “Recently, the section that allowed preliminary detention in flagrante delicto was repealed and, although an attempt was made to restore it, so far it has not been approved. If we manage to capture the perpetrator of this attack, current regulations would make his immediate arrest difficult,” Bringas explained.
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Explosives used for mining
According to a specialist from the Explosives Deactivation Unit (UDEX) consulted by La República, the attack on January 20 against the Public Ministry of Trujillo, La Libertad, would have been carried out with at least 20 cartridges of 5,000 emulsion. These powerful explosives are used in mining in the Sierra de La Libertad to break rocks. “They are very powerful and water resistant. Illegal and legal miners get them easily,” said one expert. However, although authorities have acknowledged that artifacts linked to mining were used, they avoided giving more details.
The impact was so powerful that it could be heard in peripheral districts such as La Esperanza, El Porvenir, Florencia de Mora and Huanchaco, up to 11 kilometers away, according to witnesses.
Cameras captured attacks
Security cameras captured how a subject carrying a delivery driver’s backpack arrives, leaves the package and runs away. Seconds later, the detonation destroyed everything in the vicinity. The shock waves caused damage to at least 15 buildings and businesses, in addition to the seven floors of the Public Ministry. A taxi driver who was stopped at the traffic light was injured and his car was rendered useless. The other injured was the security guard of the affected institution. I was on duty. Both were discharged.
Prosecutor of the Nation: “It is cowardice”
The National Prosecutor, Delia Espinoza, condemned the attack, calling it an act of cowardice. “It is evident that these types of acts seek to intimidate the work we do against criminal organizations,” he said.
Likewise, he confirmed that a prosecutor has received death threats from criminal organizations in the region. “I can assure you that we are coordinating with the Police to guarantee your safety and that of your family. We are going to provide all the support to our colleague, who is leading critical cases related to organized crime,” he emphasized.
These statements left the Ministry of the Interior out of place, which initially, in a statement, attributed the attack to its work against crime.
Criticism of the state of emergency
Prosecutor Espinoza also questioned the effectiveness of the state of emergency in La Libertad and the possible militarization of Trujillo announced again by the authorities. “Despite the state of emergency, extortion and hitmen have not decreased. The presence of the military does not solve the problem because they do not have the preparation or legal powers to carry out internal security tasks. This work corresponds to the National Police.”
César Acuña tries to distance himself from Dina Boluarte
The regional governor of La Libertad, César Acuña Peralta, also spoke out and, despite the closeness and political support they maintain in power, blamed the government of Dina Boluarte. “For months we have been asking the Executive to change the intelligence team in charge of security in the region, but they never listened to us. “Now we are seeing the consequences of that inaction,” he declared.
At night, after the meeting between the governor of La Libertad, César Acuña; the head of the PCM, Gustavo Adrianzén; the Minister of the Interior, Juan José Santiváñez; The removal of 100 Divincri and intelligence agents was announced due to indiscipline issues. They will be replaced.
Hopeless population
The attack has left a deep feeling of hopelessness among the citizens of Trujillo. The Republic spoke with some affected people, who point out that they have lost hope that peace will return to Trujillo. “Here we no longer live in peace. Every day we hear news about extortions, hitmen or attacks,” said a neighbor.
