Argentine police arrest Peruvian national ‘Jhimy’ for leading drug gang

Argentine authorities have arrested a Peruvian national known as ‘Jhimy’, who allegedly bypassed immigration controls to return to Argentina and lead a drug trafficking organization in Barrio 31, Retiro.

Jhimy had previously been convicted of drug trafficking and expelled from the country in 2021. Following an investigation ordered by Federal Judge María Servini, the Federal Police conducted 12 raids, resulting in the arrest of six individuals. Investigators believe the suspect operated by staying in various hotels in central Buenos Aires to avoid detection, only returning to the neighborhood to provide directives to his gang, which is reportedly composed mostly of women.

The investigation began in December 2024 after a woman was caught in Retiro with over two kilograms of cocaine. Police noted frequent calls from a contact named ‘Jhimy’ on the suspect's phone. Authorities have identified him as an operative linked to César Morán de la Cruz, known as ‘El Loco César’, a major crime figure currently imprisoned in Ezeiza. During his arrest in a San Cristóbal hotel, Jhimy was found with a packed suitcase and a Peruvian identity document belonging to another person.