No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeTopicsCrimeTop Guatemalan officials arrested in crime ring takedown

Top Guatemalan officials arrested in crime ring takedown

GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala – The current and former heads of Guatemala’s tax collection agency were among 20 officials arrested in the Central American country on Thursday, accused of being part of a tax fraud and contraband ring.

A warrant was also issued for the private secretary of Guatemalan Vice President Roxana Baldetti, but he was reportedly out of the country. The secretary, Juan Carlos Monzón, is accused of being one of the ringleaders of the criminal operation.

Acting Chief Prosecutor Luis Archila said Thursday that the accused collected bribes in exchange for charging reduced customs duties. The Prosecutor’s Office said members of the criminal group altered paperwork for shipping containers going through customs at the country’s two main seaports, Puerto Quetzal and Puerto Santo Tomás.

Guatemala’s special prosecutor for impunity, Oscar Schaad, said investigators became suspicious after the Guatemalan tax administration failed to record a single complaint about tax fraud for two years.

Omar Franco, chief of Guatemala's tax-collecting service, remains in a security cell in court.
Johán Ordóñez/AFP

The president of Guatemalan daily Siglo21, Salvador González, was also arrested. The daily posted a note on its Facebook page “lamenting the situation of its president.” The note said the news company had nothing to do with the case under investigation and “reiterated its commitment to contribute to combatting illegal acts.”

Thursday’s arrests resulted from raids in Guatemala City and other parts of the country carried out by the Chief Prosecutor’s Office with support from the U.N. International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala — CICIG, by its Spanish acronym.

CICIG was created in 2006 to bolster Guatemala’s weak judicial institutions by helping investigate high-profile crimes, especially within the government. The commission’s mandate expires in September of this year, and Guatemalan President Otto Pérez Molina has expressed doubts about allowing it to stay.

In a tweet, the U.S. Embassy in Guatemala congratulated the Prosecutor’s Office and CICIG on Thursday “for an unprecedented effort to fight corruption.”

Trending Now

Costa Rica Shaken by a Quake with No Injuries Reported

A strong earthquake struck near Quepos late last night, sending tremors across parts of our country and even into our neighbor Panama. The quake,...

U.S. Strikes Drug Boat in Pacific Near Colombia, Killing Two

The United States military carried out its first strike in the Pacific Ocean against a boat suspected of drug trafficking, killing two people near...

Delta Partners with Starbucks for Unique Coffee Trip to Costa Rica

Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines has teamed up with Starbucks to offer a special travel experience that transforms a private charter flight into an airborne...

Scientists Identify New Salamander in Costa Rica’s Highest Peak Ecosystem

Scientists have identified a new salamander species in the remote páramo of Chirripó National Park, highlighting our country's rich biodiversity and the pressing challenges...

El Salvador’s Safety Outpaces Costa Rica’s Crime in Tourism Race

El Salvador has turned heads this year with a sharp uptick in tourism, pulling in visitors eager for its mix of natural draws and...

Costa Rica Warns on Methanol Risks in Alcohol Amid Regional Outbreaks

Costa Rica's health officials have stepped up alerts on the dangers of methanol poisoning from contaminated alcohol, aligning with similar actions across Latin America...
spot_img
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica