Keiko Fujimori announces a military and police task force to combat organized crime in Peru

The president of Peru, Keiko Fujimori, announced the creation of a Unified Command composed of the Armed Forces and the National Police to lead the fight against organized crime, in a country facing a growing wave of violence and crime.

The measure was presented this Wednesday during a ceremony at Army Headquarters in Lima, where the president also unveiled a Combined Forces Unit for the Fight Against Organized Crime, composed of 1,350 elite military and police personnel, according to the AFP news agency.

"Today I announce the establishment of a Unified Command to confront and defeat crime and delinquency," Fujimori declared, who added that an operations center responsible for coordinating security actions will be set up at the military facilities.

At this time, the government has not specified who will head the new command or whether civilian authorities will be involved. The creation of the unit was also confirmed by the state-run Andina news agency.

Homicides and extortion skyrocket in Peru

The announcement comes amid one of the worst security crises Peru has faced since the end of the internal armed conflict (1980–2000).

According to figures compiled by AFP, homicides rose from 1,000 in 2018 to 2,600 in 2025, while reports of extortion increased from 3,200 to 26,500 during the same period.

The expansion of criminal organizations and the rise in violence have made insecurity one of the government's main challenges.

"We are going to bring these despicable criminals to justice and protect society so that they are prosecuted in accordance with the law," the president said during the presentation of the new forces.