No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeCentral AmericaGuatemalaGuatemala Dismantles Major Migrant Trafficking Ring Involving Police

Guatemala Dismantles Major Migrant Trafficking Ring Involving Police

Guatemalan authorities dismantled a migrant trafficking network destined for the United States on Tuesday, which included police officers, according to Interior Minister Francisco Jiménez.The minister detailed that 36 people were arrested, including 23 active police officers and two retired ones.

“Today (Tuesday) morning, a criminal structure dedicated to human trafficking was dismantled,” Jiménez said on the social network X.The traffickers were “using police agents, corrupting them to guarantee the transit of the people they were trafficking on routes in the country,” he added.

For its part, the United States Embassy in Guatemala stated on X that the operation to dismantle the network was carried out “under the leadership” of the Guatemalan Ministry of Interior and the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agency.

The diplomatic mission added that the structure “exploited” “almost 10,000 migrants” and highlighted “the bilateral coordination and information exchange” to execute the arrests.

Central America serves as a corridor for thousands of migrants from different parts of the world seeking to reach the United States. Additionally, thousands of Central Americans leave their countries to escape poverty, lack of employment, low wages, and criminal violence.

Jiménez explained that the operation is part of “the strategy” of President Bernardo Arévalo “to not criminalize migrants, but to pursue and dismantle human trafficking structures.””The result of this dismantling was due to internal collaboration from the National Civil Police itself,” the minister indicated.

During the operation, which covered 34 raids in towns in the east, west, south, and the capital of the country (center), “four vehicles, a firearm, and cash” were also seized, prosecutor Marvin Orellana told journalists. Orellana detailed that the network moved migrants from Russia, China, Ecuador, Venezuela, Cuba, Haiti, and Vietnam, among other nationalities.

Trending Now

Costa Rica’s Pride March 2025 Defies Restrictions and Celebrates Diversity

A large crowd gathered in Paseo Colón, San José, to participate in the LGBTIQ+ Pride March 2025. It began at noon, as people marched...

An Expat’s Take: 5 Burning Questions About Life in Costa Rica Right Now

Have you been keeping up with the various events taking place in Costa Rica? There is always something interesting going down, and here are...

El Salvador Slams Paris Fashion Show Inspired by Cecot Mega-Prison Inmates

The president of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, joked on Saturday that he could send inmates from his mega-prison to France, after they were represented...

Costa Rica’s President Chaves Accused of Illicit Campaign Financing

On Monday, Costa Rica’s Prosecutor’s Office formally accused President Rodrigo Chaves along with six high-ranking officials and pro-government legislators of allegedly engaging in illicit...

Life After MS-13 in El Salvador as Residents Seek a Fragile Peace

Esperanza Martinez lost three relatives who were murdered and saw numerous bodies left in the streets of her neighborhood, a former stronghold of the...

Retired Nicaraguan Army Captain Sentenced to 50 Years for Treason

A retired military officer was sentenced to 50 years in prison in Nicaragua for the crime of "treason against the homeland," his family denounced...
spot_img
Costa Rica Tours
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