# Sentencing of Julio César Navarro Merino in Peru

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/sentencing-of-julio-csar-navarro-merino-in-peru
> Updated: 2026-09-29T09:30:45.000Z. Sources: 14. Developments: 2.

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

The murder took place in September 2012 in the Suyo district of Ayabaca, where the victim was shot while inside his vehicle at a restaurant. After thirteen years in hiding, Navarro was apprehended in Santo Domingo, Ecuador, in December 2025 through joint operations by Peruvian and Ecuadorian police. Following an extradition process finalized in April 2026, he was returned to Peru to stand trial.

## Timeline

### 2026-09-29: Criminal convictions issued in Ecuador and Peru for extortion and robbery

Two separate criminal convictions were handed down in South America: brothers in Ecuador received over six years for extortion, while a man in Peru was sentenced for a 2014 attempted car robbery.

9 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/criminal-convictions-issued-in-ecuador-and-peru-for-extortion-and-robbery

### 2026-09-17: Peru sentences ‘El Diablo’ to 15 years for mining businessman's murder

Julio César Navarro Merino has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for the 2012 murder of mining businessman Manuel Guillermo Padilla Moreno in Ayabaca, Peru.

5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/peru-sentences-el-diablo-to-15-years-for-mining-businessmans-murder

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Cite as: Sentencing of Julio César Navarro Merino in Peru. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/sentencing-of-julio-csar-navarro-merino-in-peru