Peru deploys military perimeter guards at prisons in Lima and Trujillo

Peru has begun placing military personnel around some of its most dangerous prisons, bringing soldiers and marines to the outer perimeters of facilities in Lima and Trujillo.

In La Libertad, Defense Minister Rafael Belaunde supervised the deployment outside Trujillo Varones prison, known as El Milagro. The operation is coordinated with the National Police. In Lima, Navy personnel arrived at Ancón I with a troop carrier and a light armored reconnaissance vehicle, while Army personnel took positions outside Miguel Castro Castro prison in eastern Lima.

The government plans to extend the perimeter deployment to two more prisons. Five facilities have been declared under a state of emergency, allowing the armed forces to support security operations. Together, they hold about half of the inmates linked to criminal organizations, which authorities say may still be directing activities from behind bars.

Belaunde said inspectors at El Milagro would use millimeter-wave equipment, a metal detector and X-ray systems for luggage and packages. The minister traveled to Trujillo to supervise their installation, while Deputy Defense Minister Darwin Eufracio oversaw checks at Ancón I and Miguel Castro Castro.

The measures follow the kidnapping of gold businessman Jenss Lara and the killing of his four companions in Trujillo. Authorities attributed the attack to the Los Pulpos gang, amid an apparent dispute with other groups involved in extortion and contract killings. Lara was released after an alleged ransom payment, and Belaunde announced the arrest of suspected attackers, although relatives have presented indications that the detainees are not the people sought. The minister also reported the arrest in Bolivia of Los Pulpos leader Jhonsson Cruz, who was wanted in Peru over a previous homicide and organized-crime conviction.

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These are millimeter-wave devices, a metal detector and an X-ray inspection system for luggage and packages.