According to reports, the 64 raids carried out in this capital, in several municipalities of the metropolitan area and in five other departments were aimed at the crazy gangster cliques of Barrio 18 and the South Side Century, the Mara Salvatrucha and organized crime .
The PNC referred cases to properties in Guatemala City, Mixco, Villa Nueva, Villa Canales, Santa Catarina Pinula, Chinautla, Amatitlán, San Pedro Sacatepéquez, San Lucas Sacatepéquez, Escuintla, Coatepeque, Quiché, Izabal and Santa Rosa.
According to the armed forces, under the direction of the State Ministry's public prosecutor's office against extortion crimes, they managed to clear up eleven files opened against extortion gangs.
Five days ago, the PNC announced that since the beginning of January, 120 people had been arrested for involvement in extortion, a scourge plaguing the country.
The Minister of the Interior, Francisco Jiménez, previously promoted other specialized mega-operations in prisons to control crime emanating from these institutions, the origin of such a phenomenon, according to experts.
On the 14th, when the country's President Bernardo Arévalo presented the milestones of the first 30 days of his term in office, he expressed that Guatemala is making progress in the fight against extortion.
During this period, PNC units have carried out nine searches in various prisons to remove the illegal materials with which this process is carried out, he emphasized.
In addition, the Specialized Anti-Extortion Group has been established, which will include 440 agents who will be exclusively dedicated to preventing extortion and capturing its enforcers, the President added.
Thanks to this operation, we arrested 94 suspects, demolished and occupied two buildings and thus prevented at least 117 homicides, explained the 65-year-old politician.
Local analysts warned that one of the biggest challenges facing the head of state and his government is the insecurity of citizens in this Central American territory.
npg/znc