Peruvian police have announced the arrest of a 56-year-old Iranian citizen, Majid Azizi, who was reportedly a member of Iran's Quds Force and allegedly planned to kill an Israeli citizen in Peru. The arrest took place in Lima, where Azizi was apprehended along with two Peruvian individuals.
According to Gen. Óscar Arriola, Peru's police chief, authorities were able to thwart the attack against the Israeli target, although the specific identity of the intended victim has not been disclosed for security reasons. A third Peruvian suspect believed to be the mastermind behind the plot is still at large.
Azizi entered Lima on March 3, and his presence was flagged to Peruvian authorities by foreign intelligence agencies. While his affiliation with the Quds Force has not been independently verified, Iranian authorities have not commented on the matter, and Iranian state media has not acknowledged the arrest.
The Quds Force, a branch of Iran's Revolutionary Guard, has been known to conduct intelligence operations in South America. Iran has historical ties to Venezuela, and the Quds Force has been implicated in past incidents in the region, including the impounding of a Boeing 747 in Argentina and alleged involvement in the 1994 bombing of a Jewish center in Argentina.
This marks the first time that Peruvian authorities have apprehended an individual linked to the Quds Force. Azizi, along with the two Peruvian accomplices, will be held in custody for an initial 15 days on terrorism charges. It was revealed that Azizi had plans to return to Iran on the day of his capture and is married to a Peruvian woman.
