Two men died and another was injured during an armed attack recorded on the night of Saturday, July 18, at the entrance to El Arco, towards El Montañez Street, in San Miguel Dueñas, Sacatepéquez. According to the investigations of the National Civil Police (PNC), the attack would have been carried out by members of the Mara Salvatrucha (MS).
According to PNC investigations, the attack is related to the dispute over control of drug dealing between the Mara Salvatruchto (MS), the Neighborhood 18 and the group known as “the Caraduras“. The investigations indicate that this criminal struggle, which began in the El Gallito neighborhood, zone 3 of the capital, extended to zone 6, where “the Caradura” previously operated. According to the PNC, the Mara Salvatrucha seeks to displace that structure to consolidate control of retail drug distribution and extortion.
The fatalities were identified as Cristián Alexander López Pérez40 years old, alias “El Tiny”, who was driving the vehicle, and Hector David Noriega Sotoj33, who was traveling in the back seat, behind the co-pilot.
The wounded man is Alexandro José Galindo Arellano38 years old, who, according to the PNC report, was traveling as a companion.
According to the police, Galindo managed to get off the pick-up truck and ran during the armed attack. Minutes later, he was transferred with multiple gunshot wounds to the Pedro de Bethancourt National Hospital.
According to the PNC’s preliminary investigation, the three people were traveling in a red Ford Ranger pick-up truck, license plates P-814LDZwhen they were intercepted by two trucks, one gray and the other red. Several armed men got out of the vehicles, shot repeatedly with weapons of different calibers and then fled in the direction of National Route 14 and Ciudad Vieja.
At the scene, investigators located a firearm magazine and multiple shell casings of an undetermined caliber.
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The relationship with the Caradura
According to PNC investigations, the two deceased and the injured were identified as alleged operators of “The Caraduras”. In addition, they are also linked to the gang Neighborhood 18with the click Chapina Breed.
According to the PNC database, Alexandro José Galindo Arellano records a record for the crime of illicit trade, trafficking and storageof the August 10, 2016.
According to the Public Ministry, that day he was captured at the La Aurora International Airport when he intended to travel to Switzerland with 77 drug capsules inside your body. That case gave rise to an investigation by the Narcotics Crimes Prosecutor’s Office that allowed the dismantling, in March 2019, of a criminal structure allegedly linked to the international transit of drugs between Colombia, Guatemala and Mexico, with links to the Gulf cartel.
As a result of that investigation, 15 people were captured, including Marvin Estuardo Alfaro Bravoalias “Stuart”, as well as five agents of the National Civil Police accused of collaborating with the organization. In May 2025, the Ninth Criminal Sentencing Court convicted three former agents for the crime of obstruction of justice.
For its part, Hector David Noriega Sotoj was captured June 3, 2026 and was transferred to Criminal Court of Peace for Misdemeanors of Guatemala. The judge ordered his release after a sanction for disturbing public order.
