PERU · SECURITY

A newspaper report, citing Interior Ministry data, says Pataz has 121 police and six working pickups. The figures are not independently confirmed.

A newspaper report says Pataz, a Peruvian gold province, has 121 police and six working pickups, citing ministry data. That matters to US gold buyers and travellers, because armed attacks on mines there continue.

The report says the officers were counted on 1 September and the vehicles on 31 August, at local police stations. It says the data exclude extra forces under the Pataz Unified Command, a joint army and police group.

What Happened in Pataz

On Tuesday, 6 October, around 8 p.m., an armed attack hit a mine entrance in Pataz district’s Santa María sector. Two private security guards were killed, and two other men were wounded.

The site lies inside a concession of Compañía Minera Poderosa, a large Pataz gold miner. It is in an area assigned to an artisanal miner, meaning a small-scale operator, whose security firm employed the dead guards.

Police, with the armed forces and prosecutors, went to the scene. The circumstances and the attackers are still under investigation.

Voters and electoral staff at a polling place in Pataz during Peru’s general election on 11 April 2021. The photo does not show police, mines or the 2026 attack. Photo: ONPE Oficial / Wikimedia Commons (public domain)

Why the Police Numbers Matter

Pataz has been under a state of emergency since February 2024, with at least 18 extensions. The latest, Supreme Decree 137-2026-PCM, runs 60 days from Saturday, 3 October.

Under the emergency the armed forces lead internal order, and the National Police support them. The 121 officers are therefore one part of a wider state presence that the reported data do not measure.

The reported figures do not say how many of the 121 officers are on duty. If confirmed, they show how thinly local stations are staffed.

What It Means for You

US travellers should check the State Department’s Peru advisory before visiting the La Libertad region, where Pataz lies. Emergency decrees in Pataz have restricted movement in the past and can change with each extension.

For US buyers of Peruvian gold, the reported figures point to a security gap that miners and the state both face. Attacks on guards, like that of 6 October, remain a risk for workers on the ground.

Related Rio Times reports are Attack at Poderosa Gold Mine Kills Two Guards and Peru Extends Pataz State of Emergency. More is on the Peru hub, and the Peru security guide explains the risks.

What Is Not Known

A report published this week says police officers are hired by mining companies in Pataz, citing documents. It could not be confirmed with the Interior Ministry, the police or a second source, so none of its details are stated.

How many officers, which companies and what contracts are involved is unknown, and no ministry or police response was found. No prosecutor or court statement on the claim was found, and any officer or company named in future is presumed innocent.

The 121-officer and six-pickup figures come from one newspaper report citing ministry data and are not independently confirmed. The ministry’s observatory was not reachable, and no ministry or police statement on them was found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many police officers are there in Pataz?

A report citing Interior Ministry data says 121 officers as of 1 September 2026: 10 officers and 111 non-commissioned. The figure is not independently confirmed.

What happened in Pataz on 6 October?

An armed attack at a mine entrance killed two private security guards and wounded two other men. The attackers have not been named.

Are Peruvian police hired by mining companies in Pataz?

A report this week says so, citing documents, but it could not be confirmed. No ministry or police response was found, and any officer or company named in future is presumed innocent.

Is Pataz safe for US travellers?

Pataz has been under a state of emergency since February 2024, and the latest extension began on 3 October. Check the US State Department’s Peru advisory before travelling.

Sources: Peru Interior Ministry, national citizen-security observatory data on Pataz police staff and vehicles (1 September and 31 August 2026), as cited in press reports and not independently confirmed; Peru Council of Ministers and El Peruano, Supreme Decree 137-2026-PCM (extension in force from 3 October 2026); US State Department travel advisory for Peru (accessed 30 October 2026).