Peru has extradited the alleged mastermind behind a triple killing broadcast on social media in Buenos Aires last year, police said, as the suspect has now appeared before an Argentine judge and denied any involvement.
Peruvian national Tony Janzen Valverde Victoriano, alias ‘Pequeño J,’ is accused of orchestrating the killings in Florencio Varela, on the southern outskirts of the capital, in a case authorities say is linked to drug-trafficking.
The 20-year-old suspect, who had been held in a Lima prison since October, arrived in Argentina on Monday evening following a major extradition operation and was immediately transferred under heavy security to the Marcos Paz federal prison.
On Tuesday, Valverde was formally questioned for the first time by Argentina’s justice system via videolink from prison before Judge Jorge Ernesto Rodríguez. During the hearing, he denied any role in the triple killing and refused to answer questions, according to judicial sources.
He faces charges of “aggravated homicide,” including allegations that the crimes were committed with premeditation, extreme cruelty, and gender-based violence, as part of an organised criminal group linked to drug-trafficking.
The bodies of Morena Verdi and Brenda del Castillo, cousins aged 20, and 15-year-old Lara Gutiérrez were found buried in the yard of a house in the area on September 24, five days after their disappearance.
Investigators say the victims were abducted on September 19, bound, beaten and tortured before being killed during a live broadcast on a closed social media group, allegedly as punishment for a drug theft.
Valverde’s extradition followed months of legal procedures and coordination between Peruvian and Argentine authorities.
After landing at El Palomar airport later than scheduled due to delays during the transfer, he was handed over to Argentina’s federal penitentiary service and transported in a heavily guarded convoy.
Authorities in Peru outlined an eight-step process leading to his transfer, including his arrest, the activation of international cooperation mechanisms, and final authorization of the extradition.
Valverde is also suspected of being part of a criminal structure involved in recovering stolen drugs. He was arrested on September 30 in the district of Pucusana, in southern Lima.
His suspected Argentine accomplice, 28-year-old Matías Ozorio, was also detained in Peru and later deported.
The investigation has widened significantly. At least 11 people have been charged in connection with the case, while three additional suspects are reportedly under investigation. One alleged associate, reportedly known as “Señor J,” has so far benefited from a lack of sufficient evidence.
The killings triggered nationwide outrage in Argentina, with thousands joining protests to demand justice.
Relatives of the victims held another demonstration shortly before Valverde’s extradition, underscoring continuing public anger over the shocking killings.
– TIMES/AFP/NA
Comments