Alleged criminal boss Jhonsson Smit Cruz Torres, known by the alias Jhonsson Pulpo, was handed over to the National Police of Peru on Tuesday after being expelled from neighbouring Bolivia. Cruz Torres, identified as the suspected leader of the Los Pulpos criminal organization, was taken into Peruvian custody following his arrest by Bolivian authorities.
The transfer took place at the Desaguadero Binational Border Attention Center in the southern Peruvian region of Puno. The operation followed his capture in the Bolivian capital of La Paz on September 1 during a joint action coordinated between law enforcement agencies of both countries, television network Canal N reported.
Bolivian officers arrested Cruz Torres alongside another Peruvian national, Gabriel Alexander Saul Mendocilla Gomez, during a raid on a property located on Isaac Tamayo Street in La Paz. During the raid, security forces seized two Peruvian passports, an additional Peruvian national identity document, two Bolivian identity cards, and multiple mobile phones. Officers also confiscated cash in several currencies, comprising 10,000 US dollars, 700 Bolivianos, and 10,000 Chilean pesos.
Extradition and Pending Criminal Charges
Preliminary reports indicate that Cruz Torres will be transferred to the city of Juliaca before being taken to Lima. In the capital, he faces prosecution for alleged charges of qualified homicide, contract killing, criminal organization, and aggravated kidnapping. Peru's Ministry of the Interior had previously offered a reward of 500,000 soles for information leading to his capture.
Following his arrest, Bolivia's Migration Directorate confirmed that Cruz Torres had entered the country illegally. The agency issued a formal expulsion order directing that he be surrendered immediately to Peruvian law enforcement, bringing an end to an international search for the fugitive leader.
Background of Los Pulpos Organization
Investigators state that Cruz Torres assumed control of Los Pulpos after the capture of its founding leaders, including his father, Jhon Smith Cruz Arce. Los Pulpos is an established criminal gang originating from northern Peru that has operated across international borders.
The border crossing at Desaguadero serves as a primary official checkpoint between Peru and Bolivia on the high plateau near Lake Titicaca. Suspects handed over at Puno are routinely transported through the regional hub of Juliaca before being transferred to Lima for high level judicial proceedings.
