de la Playa, a boutique hotel from the Xcaret Group in Playa del Carmen, México. Piranha smuggling incident On May 9, 2019, different news sources reported that Martinez had been stopped at Los Angeles' airport for trying to enter the US with 40 piranhas in vacuum-sealed plastic bags inside his personal luggage. After being questioned by airport officials about what he was bringing into the country, Martinez allegedly replied to be carrying "flesh and bones", which caused him to be detained and taken into an interrogation room at the airport. Martinez was released after showing airport officials photographs of the meal he was planning to cook with the carnivorous fish. International gastronomy events Martínez has participated at various gastronomic congresses and events. Mesamérica (Mexico City)´ Peixe em Lisboa (Lisbon, Portugal) Melbourne Food & Wine Festival (Melbourne, Australia) Identità Golose (Milan, Italy) Festival Cultura e Gastronomia Tiradentes (Minas Gerais, Brazil) Festa a Vico (Vico Equense, Italy) Ñam Santiago (Santiago, Chile) Savour (Singapore) Gulfood (Dubai, United Arab Emirates) Paris des Chefs (Paris, France) See also List of restaurateurs References Further reading Virgilio Martinez with Nicholas Gill. "Central." Phaidon Press, 2016. . External links Central Restaurante Lima London Senzo 1977 births Living people Peruvian restaurateurs Peruvian chefs People from Lima Alumni of Le Cordon Bleu