Peru arrests suspected Chile-based Tren de Aragua leader

Peruvian police arrested a suspected leader of Tren de Aragua who was wanted in Chile over alleged involvement in a kidnapping and extortion network.

The suspect, Venezuelan national Ibelmery Adon Colina Maldonado, was detained in the San Martín de Porres district of northern Lima. He is known in criminal circles by the alias R15 and had an active arrest warrant in Chile. The operation involved Chile’s Special Police Investigations Brigade for Kidnapping and the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Police link R15 to the kidnapping of a Venezuelan citizen on May 14, 2026, in Santiago’s Estación Central municipality. The victim was released the following day after negotiations conducted by Chile’s anti-kidnapping brigade.

Peruvian National Police commander Óscar Arriola said R15 entered Peru irregularly and would be expelled and handed over to Chile through the border. Arriola said the suspect had previously been in Peru in 2018 and had a criminal record, but authorities were prioritising Chile’s request because of the seriousness of the allegations there.

Interior Minister César Astudillo said criminal leaders commonly direct illegal activities from countries outside their main areas of influence. He cited the arrest in Colombia earlier in the same week of another suspected Tren de Aragua leader who allegedly operated in Peru.

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Criminal leaders commonly manage their illegal activities from countries different from where they have their area of influence.