Strengthening citizen security and preventing criminal groups that are dedicated to human and drug trafficking from continuing to carry out their activities without any control is the objective of the new police station of the National Civil Police (PNC), located in San Benito, Petén, which was inaugurated this Tuesday, July 14.
The president was present at the inaugurationBernardo Arévalo; the Minister of the Interior, Marco Antonio Villeda, and the director of the National Civil Police, David Custodio Boteowho verified the facilities of the new police headquarters, which It will provide security in the municipalities of San Benito, Santa Elena and Flores.
According to the president, the inauguration of this new police station in San Benito It is part of “the security strategy that is being promoted by the Government in the fight against criminal groups and organized crime.” that operate in the department, as well as to continue reducing the rates of violence and crime both in San Benito and in the surrounding towns.”
Arévalo also highlighted that for several years the department of Petén had been “abandoned” in terms of security, a situation that has allowed organized crime groups and those dedicated to drug trafficking and human trafficking to operate freely in the area. With the inauguration of this new PNC headquarters, the corresponding actions and security measures will also be implemented to counteract these illicit activities, the president assured.
For his part, the Minister of the Interior indicated that, in the new San Benito police station, a total of 775 PNC agents will be stationed, which represents a “significant” increase in the number of elements of the institution, since previously only 100 agents and three sub-inspectors assigned to police station 62 provided security in the three aforementioned municipalities.
He also assured that, With the upcoming graduation of three thousand new PNC agents, more troops will be assigned to Petén with the aim of reinforcing security throughout the department, in which during the first half of the year 1,300 people accused of different crimes were captured, Villeda stated.
The main crimes that affect San Benito, Petén, and the neighboring municipalities, in terms of common crime, are extortion, assaults and murders. While, on the part of organized crime, the main problem is drug trafficking and human trafficking, due to its geographical position, according to the Ministry of the Interior.
The construction of the San Benito police station began in 2024 and the cost amounted to Q6 million.