Guatemalan authorities are reporting a sharp increase in virtual kidnapping extortion schemes that deceive victims with fabricated threats against family members and demand immediate bank transfers. The Ministry of Public Prosecution’s specialized unit against kidnappings logged 183 complaints through May 5 this year, an average of 10 cases per week.
That compares with 157 complaints in all of 2024 and 345 in 2025. The fastest-growing category involves simulated or “gota a gota” operations in which criminals contact targets by phone or social media, isolate them psychologically, and pressure relatives to send money under claims that a loved one faces imminent harm.
Police and prosecutors describe the pattern: offenders often impersonate members of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel or other foreign groups. They lure victims to remote locations under false pretenses of business deals or job offers, then issue death threats while demanding quick deposits via mobile banking or ATMs. Victims are not always physically restrained but remain under constant intimidation until payment is confirmed. The modality now accounts for a rising share of reported cases in departments including Guatemala, Escuintla, Chimaltenango and Petén.
Edgar Morales, a former prosecutor and security analyst, told Prensa Libre that many of these tactics originated in South America and have been adopted by local criminal networks. Helver Beltetón, a retired senior police official, noted the severe psychological toll on families who often choose not to file formal complaints out of fear that payment will not guarantee safety.
Investigators link much of the activity to organized groups tied to street gangs that operate both inside and outside the prison system. Officials have captured members of structures such as “Los Imitadores de Secuestros,” which used similar deception tactics.
In a separate development tied to the same criminal networks, judicial authorities have begun transferring case files from the coordinated gang attacks of January 18 to High-Risk Courts in Guatemala City and Quetzaltenango. Those proceedings will handle suspected members of the Barrio 18 gang accused of ordering and carrying out assaults that killed 10 police officers in and around the capital.
The attacks followed prison riots in which inmates took guards hostage and demanded better conditions for gang leaders. President Bernardo Arévalo responded by declaring a 30-day state of siege nationwide. Congress ratified the measure, which was later replaced by more targeted states of prevention that remain in effect in several key departments, including the capital region.
The Chamber of Criminal Affairs of the Supreme Court issued the order to move the files under a new anti-gang law that expands the jurisdiction of High-Risk Courts to terrorism, sedition and organized-crime offenses committed by designated terrorist groups such as Barrio 18. At least six files are involved, prosecutors said. Suspects already face charges that include murder, attempted murder and illegal weapons possession.
The transfers mark the latest step in efforts to dismantle command structures that authorities say continue to direct street-level crimes, including extortion, from behind bars.
Police continue to urge the public to verify any unexpected calls claiming a relative is in danger. Officials recommend hanging up immediately, contacting the real family member through a different channel, and reporting the incident to the nearest station rather than engaging with the caller.
Travelers to Guatemala City are advised to exercise standard precautions, avoid traveling alone after dark in areas with high reported crime, and remain alert to unsolicited contacts. No new nationwide restrictions have been imposed beyond the localized prevention measures already in place.
