Peruvian security crisis

Peruvian security crisis
	Part of Peruvian political crisis (2016-present) and war on drugs (in Peru)
	; Extortion complaints in Peru through October 2025
Date	2021 - present
Location	Peru
Result	State of emergency imposed in metro Lima (March 2025)
Belligerents
Peruvian Government Peruvian Armed Forces Peruvian Army ; ; ; Ministry of Interior National Police of Peru; ; ;	Organized crime Tren de Aragua;
Commanders and leaders
Pedro Castillo; (2021 - 2022) ; Dina Boluarte; (December 2022-2025); José Jerí (October 2025-February 2026) ; José María Balcázar (February 2026-)	Various
Strength
130,000+	Unknown
Casualties and losses
Unknown	Unknown

The Peruvian security crisis is a period marked by a sustained increase of criminality, urban violence, transnational organized crime and a general perception of urban insecurity. The situation has affected several regions of the country, including Lima province, La Libertad, Piura, Loreto and Callao, and has affected diverse sectors such as mining, business, transport, music and education.

Between 2021 and 2025, indices of homicide, extortion, and violent crimes increased significantly. According to the Public Ministry of Peru, more than 22835 cases of extortion were reported in 2024, a 379.62% increase from 2021; and there was a doubling in homicides since before the pandemic. At the same time, criminal gangs, such as Tren de Aragua expanded their presence and operations in Peru.