Peru detains "Papá", uncle of "Pequeño J" and alleged leader of gang behind triple murder in Florencio Varela
Luis Alan Valverde Rodríguez, alias "Papá", was captured in Huachipa, Lima, using false identity. Argentina will seek his extradition for the triple femicide of September 2025.
Alleged gang leader linked to Florencio Varela triple murder arrested in Lima
Luis Alan Valverde Rodríguez, 40, was detained on Monday, 12 October in Huachipa, a locality east of Lima, pursuant to an international arrest warrant related to the murders of Brenda del Castillo, Morena Verdi and Lara Gutiérrez, which occurred in September 2025 in Florencio Varela. According to perfil.com, the man—known by the alias "Papá" and uncle of Tony Janzen Valverde Victoriano, alias "Pequeño J"—was under investigation as one of the principal figures responsible for the criminal organisation linked to the three homicides.
The operation was carried out by Peruvian Interpol agents through intelligence work, surveillance and tracking. The arrest was made near the Compartamos bank branch on Avenida Las Torres. At the time of capture, Valverde Rodríguez was circulating under a false identity in the name of Miguel Gerardo Celestino Timaná, a citizen registered in the Peruvian identification system, according to investigation sources.
Extradition and court order
The National Security Minister, Alejandra Monteoliva, confirmed the arrest and announced the beginning of procedures to request his extradition to Argentina. The arrest warrant had been issued in September by federal judge for Morón Jorge Rodríguez, who is conducting the investigation into the murders. Valverde Rodríguez is wanted for the crime of aggravated homicide. His delivery will be subject to the resolution of the extradition proceedings in Peruvian territory.
"Papá"'s role in the organisation
Investigators believe that Valverde Rodríguez held one of the highest-ranking positions within the drug-trafficking-linked organisation that operated in the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area. Various witness statements incorporated into the case file identified a man known as "Papá" as one of those responsible for directing the group's activities. The judicial hypothesis attributes to him responsibilities in the acquisition of narcotics, money collection and the organisation's logistics.
On 21 September 2026, the court also ordered the capture of Kevin Manuel Valverde Urtecho and Abel Josuel Taya Humpire, who are under investigation for their possible links to the same criminal structure. In a statement incorporated into the case, Celeste Magalí González Guerrero, one of those detained, identified Taya Humpire as "Papá"'s custodian, according to judicial information published by Infobea.
The "Pequeño J" case and the triple murder
Tony Janzen Valverde Victoriano was detained in Peru in September 2025 and extradited to Argentina in May 2026, where he was charged with preventive custody as alleged co-perpetrator of the three homicides. In June, judge Rodríguez determined that he had made essential contributions to the planning and execution of the murders, from organising the transportation of the victims to their detention at the residence where they were found. The accused denied having participated in the events during his court declarations.
Brenda del Castillo and Morena Verdi, both 20 years old, and Lara Gutiérrez, 15, disappeared on 19 September 2025 after boarding a van in Ciudad Evita, in the La Matanza district. According to the judicial reconstruction, the three young women were deceived with the promise of attending a party and transported to a residence in Florencio Varela, where they were tortured and murdered. Their bodies were found buried at the same property five days after their disappearance. The investigators' main hypothesis links the homicides to an act of revenge related to drug trafficking, although individual responsibilities remain under investigation.
Valverde Rodríguez remains in the custody of Peruvian authorities pending resolution of the extradition process.
Source: Google News PE — Crime