08:54 | Asuncion (Paraguay), Sep. 25.
The Peruvian National Police on Wednesday night confirmed the capture in Paraguay of criminal Erick Moreno Hernandez, also known as "El Monstruo" (The Monster), the ringleader of criminal organizations involved in extortion and contract killing in Lima’s northern cone.
Via social media, the institution detailed that "agents from a special anti-organized crime unit managed to capture Erick Moreno Hernandez, the main leader of criminal organizations involved in extortion and contract killing."
The PNP stated that the successful joint operation was carried out in coordination with international authorities and that arrangements are underway with the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights for his prompt extradition to Peru.
"We reaffirm our commitment to the frontline fight against crime. No criminal will be beyond the reach of the law," the post concluded.
Two years in Paraguay
In statements to Paraguay's ABC daily, General Commissioner Marcelino Espinoza, director of the Investigation of Punishable Acts, confirmed that Moreno is a highly dangerous criminal.
"We are talking about an internationally wanted individual. Alias 'El Monstruo del Peru' is a highly dangerous criminal. We were able to locate the residence he had rented, and he is now in police custody. Protocols will be carried out soon for his deportation to his country or to whichever requests him through Interpol," Espinoza stated.
The Paraguayan official specified that Moreno is accused of multiple crimes, including kidnappings, extortion, homicides, as well as arms and vehicle trafficking.
He added that there is still no certainty about the exact date Moreno entered Paraguay, although information suggests he may have arrived after fleeing a clash with the Military Police in Brazil.
In turn, Commissioner Hugo Grance, Chief of the Criminal Investigation Division, explained that the detainee had been living at the San Lorenzo residence for a relatively short time, but had been in Paraguay for at least two years.
"He (Moreno) was the most wanted man in his country, accused of several criminal offenses. He is believed to have been in Paraguay since around 2021 or 2022, although that has yet to be confirmed. He had only been at the residence for a few days and was accompanied by a woman, presumably his partner," Grance stated.
Operation spanned more than three months
Interior Minister Carlos Malaver reported that the capture of Erick Moreno Hernandez, alias "El Monstruo," is the result of over three months of intelligence work with Paraguayan authorities. It was successfully executed thanks to information provided by the Peruvian National Police.
"This is the result of three to three and a half months of work with the general commanders of both the National Police of Peru and the National Police of Paraguay, with focal points designated between Peruvian National Police Organized Crime Division Chief, Colonel Cruz Chamba, and Colonel Luis Lopez of the Paraguayan Organized Crime Division," Malaver told RPP Noticias.
He explained that the intelligence operation followed the money trail, which made it possible to locate the criminal in San Roque, San Lorenzo, Paraguay, "having provided Paraguayan police with the information needed to carry out the operation."
The Peruvian National Police is investigating Moreno Hernandez for leading the criminal gang "Los Injertos del Cono Norte" (The Grafts of the Northern Cone), which is involved in kidnapping businesspeople, employees, and entrepreneurs —particularly in said area of Lima.
He was included on the Ministry of Interior's Most Wanted list on December 28, 2023. Lima’s Eighth Superior Criminal Court sentenced him to 32 years in prison for offences including kidnapping, theft, homicide and contract killing, and for small-scale drug trafficking.
(END) KGR/MVB
Published: 9/25/2025