The expansion of the White Fence gangwarned by the Public Ministry (MP) in February 2025, led to an operation that links 24 alleged members of the structure and documents the way in which it operated to commit extortion in San Pedro Ayampuc and Azacualpilla, Palencia, Guatemala, as well as in Quetzaltenango.
The operation took place on Thursday, July 23, when prosecutors from the MP and agents from the National Civil Police (PNC) carried out 37 raids in San Pedro Ayampuc, as part of the 116 procedures carried out in the departments of Guatemala and Quetzaltenango against structures dedicated to extortion and other crimes.
According to the PNC report, 24 people were directly linked to White Fence: nine were captured by court order, six were apprehended in flagrante delicto and nine were notified of new arrest warrants while they were held in a preventive detention center.
In February 2025, Edgar Morales, who was in charge of the investigation at the Prosecutor’s Office against the Crime of Extortion, explained that the structure had expanded its operations from San Juan Sacatepéquez to San Pedro Ayampuc.
“It has grown, because there was already a third gang movement. It is a criminal structure that exists alongside the Barrio 18 gang and the Mara Salvatrucha,” he explained.
How White Fences Operate
The police report states that the structure is investigated for illicit association and extortionate obstruction of traffic. According to investigations, its members coordinate the collection of extortions, mainly against transport pilots who cover routes between San Pedro Ayampuc and the capital, in addition to other merchants in the sector.
The research also documents that part of the structure maintains communication from detention centers to coordinate criminal activities through cell phones.
According to the MP, that gang incorporated former members of the Salvadoran Revolutionary structure, who settled in San Pedro Ayampuc to strengthen the group’s operations.
What was seized in the raids
During the raids, nine firearms, 122 cartridges of different calibers, nine chargers, 15 cell phones, cameras, a DVR – the authorities suspect that it was used to monitor the territory – a USB memory, a bank card, personal documents, driver’s licenses, notebooks with notes, cocaine, marijuana, crack and Q7,875 in cash were seized.
The PNC reported that, as part of the operation, they were seized three rifles, a shotgun, a carbine and several pistols that will be subjected to ballistic analysis. In addition, drugs and bank documents were seized.
Furthermore, the report states that among the evidence, notebooks were found detailing the extortions paid by victims of Azacualpilla.