A Guatemalan police chief wanted for the homicide of two people in the country, including a Canadian, was captured on Tuesday by the U.S. Border Patrol, an official source reported. “After more than 50 days of searching, cooperation, and information exchange with different agencies, we can make official” the detention of officer Edy Vásquez, stated the Minister of the Interior, Francisco Jiménez, on his X account.
Vásquez “was located and captured” by U.S. authorities in the border town of McAllen, in the state of Texas (south), added the official. The minister commented that the apprehended individual will be deported to “Guatemala, and we will provide all necessary support to ensure justice for the murder of our compatriot brother and the Canadian citizen.”
On April 18, the Canadian and a Guatemalan were detained in a confusing incident by police in the indigenous town of San Andrés Itzapa, about 50 km west of the Guatemalan capital.
The North American died in a hospital, allegedly due to a beating by the agents, while the body of the other person was found days later.
Four police officers, including two women, were detained for the crime of extrajudicial execution, while Vásquez, in charge of the police station in the municipality, fled.
In response, the police “initiated a human hunt” for Vásquez “both in the national territory and internationally through an Interpol red alert,” which resulted in his capture on U.S. territory, Jiménez pointed out.
