He saw a young man who had already fled once, with every reason to run again.
En los márgenes de dos naciones unidas por tratado y por tragedia, un joven de veinte años aguarda en una prisión peruana superpoblada mientras la maquinaria diplomática y judicial avanza lentamente hacia un juicio por el asesinato de tres mujeres jóvenes en las afueras de Buenos Aires. El caso de Tony Janzen Valverde Victoriano, conocido como Pequeño J, recuerda que la huida no borra la responsabilidad, y que detrás de cada expediente judicial hay vidas truncadas —Brenda, Morena y Lara— cuyas familias esperan algo que el derecho puede nombrar pero no siempre restituir: justicia.
- Tres mujeres —de 15 y 20 años— fueron asesinadas en un ataque coordinado con golpes y armas blancas en Florencio Varela, y el móvil sigue sin esclarecerse.
- Pequeño J rechazó la extradición voluntaria y fue enviado a El Cañete, una prisión al sur de Lima que triplica su capacidad oficial, mientras su defensa argumentaba en vano que no representaba un riesgo de fuga.
- Su presunto cómplice Matías Ozorio llegó expulsado a Argentina y se negó a declarar ante los fiscales, dejando a los investigadores sin una pieza clave del rompecabezas.
- Argentina tiene 60 días para formalizar el pedido de extradición bajo un tratado bilateral de 2004, pero el proceso diplomático podría extenderse varios meses antes de que Pequeño J pise suelo argentino.
- El análisis de datos de teléfonos celulares avanza como evidencia central, y la familia de Brenda del Castillo, antes frustrada, declara ahora una cautelosa satisfacción con el rumbo de la investigación.
Un juez limeño ordenó el viernes nueve meses de prisión preventiva para Tony Janzen Valverde Victoriano —Pequeño J—, rechazando los argumentos de su defensa sobre vínculos familiares y arraigo laboral. El magistrado consideró que la notificación roja de Interpol y la solidez de las pruebas en su contra justificaban mantenerlo detenido mientras avanza el proceso de extradición. Pequeño J fue trasladado a El Cañete, una cárcel al sur de Lima que alberga más de tres veces su capacidad oficial, donde quedó en la unidad de observación a la espera de clasificación.
Las víctimas —Brenda del Castillo y Morena Verdi, de 20 años, y Lara Gutiérrez, de 15— murieron en lo que los fiscales describen como un ataque premeditado y coordinado. La acusación sostiene que Pequeño J fue el autor intelectual del crimen, aunque el móvil permanece sin confirmar; los investigadores sospechan que pudo tratarse de una represalia vinculada al narcotráfico. Tras ver su nombre en los noticieros argentinos, el joven huyó a Perú, donde fue detenido gracias a la alerta internacional.
Mientras tanto, Matías Ozorio, señalado como su hombre de confianza, llegó expulsado desde Lima y se negó a responder preguntas ante los fiscales. En total, nueve personas han sido detenidas en relación con el triple homicidio, pero la pregunta sobre por qué esas tres mujeres fueron elegidas como blanco sigue sin respuesta.
Argentina dispone de 60 días para presentar formalmente el pedido de extradición, que deberá escalar hasta la Corte Suprema peruana y recorrer los canales diplomáticos entre cancillerías. El abogado de la familia de Brenda del Castillo señaló que el análisis de los teléfonos celulares es la evidencia más sólida hasta ahora, y que la familia —antes impaciente— siente que el caso avanza en la dirección correcta.
A Peruvian judge ordered Tony Janzen Valverde Victoriano, known as Pequeño J, into nine months of preventive detention on Friday, rejecting his defense's plea for conditional release and setting the stage for his extradition to Argentina on charges of orchestrating the murder of three young women in the Buenos Aires suburb of Florencio Varela.
The 20-year-old appeared before Judge Cristhian Rafael Chumpitaz Pariona in a Lima courtroom after declining to accept voluntary extradition. His lawyer had argued for restricted freedom, claiming Pequeño J had family ties, employment prospects, and no flight risk—assertions the judge found unconvincing. The magistrate noted that an Interpol red notice had led to his arrest in Peru and that the evidence of his involvement in the killings was substantial enough to warrant holding him while formal extradition proceedings moved forward. Pequeño J was then processed into El Cañete prison, a facility south of Lima, where he was fingerprinted, photographed, and placed in the observation unit pending classification and assignment to a cell block.
The three victims—Brenda del Castillo, 20; Morena Verdi, 20; and Lara Gutiérrez, 15—were killed in what authorities describe as a coordinated attack involving multiple assailants who struck them with fists, kicks, and bladed weapons. Prosecutors allege the crime was premeditated and that Pequeño J served as the intellectual author, organizing the assault. The motive remains unclear, though investigators suspect it may have been connected to narcotics-related revenge. Pequeño J fled Argentina after seeing his name broadcast on local news and crossed into Peru, where he was detained.
Meanwhile, Matías Ozorio, identified as Pequeño J's right-hand man, arrived in Argentina on Thursday night after being expelled from Peru. Federal and provincial police conducted a significant operation to transport him from Lima. When brought before prosecutors on Friday, Ozorio refused to answer questions. Nine people have been detained in connection with the triple homicide, but investigators continue searching for clarity on why the three women were targeted.
Argentina and Peru maintain an extradition treaty dating to 2004 and ratified in 2006, which permits the transfer of citizens accused of crimes carrying sentences exceeding one year. Argentina now has 60 days to file a formal extradition request, which must be elevated to Peru's Supreme Court. The process will move through diplomatic channels via the Argentine Foreign Ministry and its embassy in Lima. Sources familiar with the case indicated that while Pequeño J is not considered a particularly difficult detainee, the passive extradition procedure could stretch across several months as bureaucratic steps unfold.
El Cañete prison, where Pequeño J is now held, officially houses 1,024 inmates but reportedly contains more than 3,000, creating a 200 percent overcrowding crisis. The facility maintains separate wings for maximum, medium, and minimum security, including a specialized unit for young drug offenders with addiction treatment programs. The nine-month detention order gives Argentina time to navigate the formal legal machinery while keeping Pequeño J in custody pending his eventual transfer.
Fernando Burlado, the attorney representing the family of Brenda del Castillo, told reporters that the family is satisfied with how the investigation has progressed—a notable shift from earlier statements expressing frustration with the pace of the case. He emphasized that authorities are currently analyzing cellular phone data, which he described as crucial evidence that corroborates the prosecution's theory of events. In an audio recording released during the investigation, Pequeño J told one of his girlfriends from hiding that he would never allow himself to be humiliated and would contact her again when circumstances improved, a statement made days after the killings.
Notable Quotes
I have never allowed myself to be humiliated by anyone— Pequeño J, in an audio recording made days after the killings
We are satisfied with how the investigation has advanced. The phone data analysis is crucial evidence that confirms what the prosecution is presenting— Fernando Burlado, attorney for the family of victim Brenda del Castillo
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why did the judge reject the defense's argument about family ties and employment?
The judge looked at those claims and found them hollow—no concrete evidence backing them up. He saw a young man who had already fled the country once, who was facing serious charges, and who had every reason to run again. The defense was asking for trust; the judge saw risk.
What's the significance of the nine-month timeline?
It's the window Argentina needs to formally request extradition through diplomatic channels. The treaty exists, but moving through government bureaucracy takes time. Nine months keeps him locked up while the paperwork moves through embassies and courts.
Why is the motive still unclear if nine people are detained?
That's the haunting part. They have the people, they have evidence of the attack itself, but the why—whether it was narco-related revenge, a personal grudge, something else entirely—hasn't surfaced yet. The phone data they're analyzing might answer that.
What does Ozorio's refusal to speak tell us?
It tells us he's lawyered up and knows better than to say anything. His silence is a choice, a legal strategy. But it also leaves a gap in the narrative of what happened that day.
Is there any chance Pequeño J doesn't get extradited?
Legally, it's unlikely. The treaty is clear, the evidence is there, and Peru has no reason to shield him. The real question is how long it takes, not whether it happens.