Peru sentences ‘El Diablo’ to 15 years for mining businessman's murder

The Supraprovincial Collegiate Criminal Court of Sullana has sentenced Julio César Navarro Merino, known as ‘El Diablo’, to 15 years in prison for the qualified homicide of mining businessman Manuel Guillermo Padilla Moreno.

The crime occurred in September 2012 in the Suyo district of Ayabaca, where the victim was shot while in his vehicle at a restaurant. After remaining in hiding for thirteen years, Navarro was apprehended in Santo Domingo, Ecuador, in December 2025 through coordinated efforts between Peruvian and Ecuadorian police. Following an extradition process completed in April 2026, he was returned to Peruvian authorities to face trial.