Luis Ignacio Vásquez Villenas was born on May 5, 2002, in Chile. He became known under the nickname “Lucho Plátano” and developed a strong reputation as a feared criminal figure within his home commune of La Granja in the Santiago Metropolitan Region. Vásquez’s early life details remain limited in public records, but by his early twenties, he had emerged as a central figure in a local gang network involved in car theft, intimidation, and organized violence.

He was known to recruit minors—especially from a subgroup called “Los Parra”—to help carry out criminal operations, including stealing cars from driveways and executing violent robberies. According to his partner, María Jesús Fernández Uribe, Vásquez was admired by many of his young followers and seen as a “role model” within the local street culture. His influence extended beyond direct violence to leadership and orchestration of gang activity in the region. His position in the criminal underworld only intensified as his violent behavior escalated and bodies began to appear.

Luis Ignacio Vásquez Villenas’s string of known murders began on May 24, 2022. On that day, Vásquez and members of his gang attempted to steal a vehicle belonging to Matías Ortega Yáñez. A confrontation broke out, resulting in Ortega being shot in the leg. That same evening, Vásquez and his group targeted and murdered Ortega’s friend, José Ignacio Bórquez Zapata, who was living with a local trafficker at the time.

Shortly after, Vásquez committed his second murder by killing Giovanni Óscar Araneda Cofré. This murder was reportedly motivated by an earlier dispute involving a robbery and a financial disagreement with Vásquez’s cousin and close associate, Danilo Moya Araneda. On October 17, 2022, Vásquez fatally shot his third confirmed victim, Vito Luciano Osses Reyes. Witness testimony implicated Vásquez and included details involving a minor accomplice, which intensified the investigation against him and led to his placement on the national wanted list.

On December 12, 2022, a rival gang mistakenly attempted to assassinate Vásquez’s group but instead killed four innocent youths, an act that further escalated violence and tension between criminal factions.

Vásquez’s final and most publicized killing occurred on January 17, 2023. He attempted to rob the car of Daniel Valdés Donoso, a commissioner with the Investigations Police of Chile (PDI). Valdés, recognizing the theft in progress, attempted to intervene and revealed his service weapon. In response, Vásquez shot him four times in the face, killing him instantly. Vásquez later claimed he only realized Valdés was a commissioner after the murder had been carried out. He then went into hiding for 22 days in the apartment of his partner in San Ramón and allegedly tried to sell Valdés’s service weapon.

A coordinated effort by Chile’s homicide, robbery, anti-narcotics, and tactical police units led to Vásquez’s arrest on February 8, 2023. Three of his close associates, including his driver and his romantic partner, were also formally charged with concealing his whereabouts. Vásquez was charged with multiple crimes including simple robbery, robbery with intimidation, theft of property for public use, attempted homicides, and four completed murders. As of the latest public reports, he remains under preventive detention in the high-security module of Rancagua Prison, awaiting trial.