Peru’s New Crime Command and What It Means for Visitors

Peru has put soldiers and police under one command. For visitors and foreign residents, the useful question is what is confirmed, what is only promised and what changes in daily life.

What Was Announced

President Keiko Fujimori announced the unified command on Wednesday 7 October 2026, Andina, Peru’s state news agency, reported. It joins the Armed Forces and the National Police under one structure. The command has a control and operations centre at Army headquarters.

Inside it sits an elite group of police and military staff for search-and-capture operations. The Executive also created a Special Commission Against Crime. The commission coordinates ministries and bodies including the Financial Intelligence Unit, the National Intelligence Directorate and the telecoms regulator Osiptel, together with telecom companies.

Fujimori said the government would take back control of prisons and cut communications for inmates who keep directing crimes. She said Peruvians go out to work every day afraid of being extorted or of dying in a shootout. Infobae reported that on Friday 9 October she visited the El Milagro prison in Trujillo, in northern Peru, after a search carried out overnight.

What It Means for Foreigners

The most direct message for foreigners is about expulsions. Fujimori said the state would expel “in record time” foreigners who came to break the law. The statement describes criminals, not foreign residents in general.

No legal basis, target number or deadline was published. We found no sign of a change to visa or residency rules for law-abiding foreigners. If a rule changes, the migration authority, Migraciones, would have to publish it.

What Is Not Known

Infobae reported on Friday that the command is already working in La Libertad, the northern region around Trujillo. We do not know where it will operate next. Infobae also reported that a state of emergency covers five high-risk prisons, and we could not confirm whether the plan extends one to city streets. We also do not know how soldiers will work with police in the streets, or what rules will cover the use of force.

Fujimori demanded legality, discipline and respect for human rights from the security forces. Results over months, not a single announcement, will show how the command works.

Crime is a long-running concern in Lima and in northern cities such as Trujillo. Our security explainer gives the longer background. A new command does not change daily risk overnight.

Practical Steps for Visitors and Residents

Keep to the basics. Use registered taxis or ride apps in Lima, keep phones out of sight on the street and carry a copy, not the original, of your passport. These are standard precautions and not a response to this announcement.

Check your embassy. Your government’s travel advice is updated more often than any news article. Read it before you book and again before you leave.

Ask your hotel or landlord. Local staff know which streets and hours are calmer. Their view is more specific than a national headline.

Plan for delays. More checkpoints or operations could slow roads in some districts. Leave extra time for airport trips.

The Bigger Picture

Peru’s new government took office in July, and security is its first test. Lima voted for a new mayor on 4 October, and the result had not been formally proclaimed when we wrote. The city and the national government will have to work together on policing and transport.

The picture has two sides. A strong response can reassure residents and businesses. A plan without published details can also leave questions about cost and results. A calm reading is to follow the details as the government publishes them.

Money is steady for planning. At the estimate of 3.443 soles per dollar, a PEN 200 taxi budget is about US$58, and PEN 3,000 of monthly rent is about US$871. Banks quote their own rates.

More on the region: Peru hub. Related coverage: today’s LatAm Expat & Nomad Daily Guide, Peru Merges Army and Police Against Crime and Peru Security and Crime Explained 2026.