Peruvian police seize 620 kilos of cocaine in Villa El Salvador destined for Mexico
The Dirandro seized 620 kg of cocaine hydrochloride valued at 18.6 million dollars in Lima. Three people were detained linked to the Los Caleteros de Villa gang.
Blow against drug trafficking in Lima: 620 kilos of cocaine seized before shipment to Callao
Peru's National Police seized 620 kilograms of cocaine hydrochloride in the district of Villa El Salvador, south of Lima, in an operation that dismantled a key link in a transnational drug trafficking network destined for Mexico. According to ifmnoticias.com, the shipment had an estimated value of 18.6 million dollars and was to be exported by sea from the port of Callao.
Weeks of intelligence led to the haul
The intervention was the result of weeks of surveillance and intelligence work carried out by the Anti-Drug Directorate of Peru's National Police (Dirandro), with strategic support from the General Intelligence Directorate of the Interior Ministry (Digimin). Agents traced the drug's movement from its origin in the Huallaga zone in Peru's Amazon to its arrival in the capital.
Interior Minister César Astudillo Salcedo presented the results of the operation on Tuesday, 10 November 2026, accompanied by the general commander of Peru's National Police, Fredy López. Astudillo emphasised that the intervention was not circumstantial: investigators identified a vehicle linked to transporting the shipment and maintained constant surveillance of suspicious vehicles until precisely establishing the storage point.
The Industrial Avenue property
The drug was stored in a property located on Industrial Avenue in Villa El Salvador, specifically fitted out to hide the packages. Dirandro officers found two modified rooms: in the first, 156 rectangular packages were found; in the second, 11 hessian bags with 400 additional packages. In total, 556 packages—known in criminal parlance as "bricks"—that added up to the 620 kilograms reported.
Specialist experts subjected the substance to field chemical tests to confirm its composition. Commander López confirmed that the samples tested positive for high-purity cocaine hydrochloride. The Interior Ministry clarified that the property did not function as a processing laboratory nor did it have chemical supplies: its function was strictly that of a collection centre prior to export.
The route: Huallaga, Lima, Callao, Mexico
López detailed that the maritime route constituted the final stage of the operation on Peruvian soil. The cocaine was to be transported to the port of Callao to be concealed in vessels bound for Mexico. Initial lines of investigation link the haul to the criminal organisation known as Los Caleteros de Villa, who allegedly used the property as a collection centre and logistics distribution hub.
Weapons, satellite communications and seized vehicles
In addition to the drug, the operation made it possible to seise material that evidences the operational capacity of the criminal structure. Among the seized items were two loaded pistols ready for use, a silencer for small arms, nine mobile phones of various types and a satellite communication device—a key tool for coordinating operations in remote areas or at sea.
Several vehicles were also seized, including pick-up trucks and a van used for transporting the substance. The authorities indicated that the final figures for the seized vehicle fleet were still under review, given that various units were seized at different points of the operation. Communications equipment was integrated into the chain of custody for analysis, with the aim of identifying international contacts, alternative routes and other members of the network.
Three detained
The operation resulted in the capture of three people allegedly linked to the organisation. Two of the suspects were detained inside the property in Villa El Salvador; a third was intercepted on the Pan-American Highway. The operation adds to the permanent actions of Peruvian authorities to dismantle the financial and logistical structures of international drug trafficking.
Source: Google News PE — Crime