Guatemala on alert due to armed confrontation near the border area

Home News Guatemala on alert due to armed confrontation near the border area
Guatemala on alert due to armed confrontation near the border area

According to the Ministry of Defense, security has been reinforced on the border with Honduras after the armed confrontation that occurred this Thursday, May 21 in Corinto, Omoa, Cortés, where at least five agents of the Anti Maras and Gangs Police Directorate against Organized Crime (Dipampco) of that country died.

Guatemalan authorities reported that they maintain surveillance and monitoring in the border area due to the possibility that suspects linked to the attack may try to enter Guatemala.

Sources from the Guatemalan Army affirmed that border security was reinforced, although they indicated that for now no anomalous movements have been reported on the Guatemalan side.

The General Subdirectorate of Analysis of Anti-Narcotics Information (SGAIA) of the National Civil Police (PNC) indicated that it remains on alert after the violent events recorded in Honduras, about 50 kilometers from the border with Guatemala.

The PNC indicated that it is carrying out coordinated operations with the Honduran National Police to follow up on the armed events that occurred in the neighboring country, where several police officers died.

“The PNC carries out actions to protect Guatemalan citizens and prevent the entry of Honduran criminals into Guatemala and, if possible, capture them if anyone dares to enter illegally,” the institution indicated.

Meanwhile, the Anti-Narcotics Prosecutor’s Office of the Public Ministry (MP) indicated that so far it does not have any alert related to the case in Guatemalan territory.

Elements of the security forces of Guatemala and Honduras guard the Corinto border after the armed attack registered in Honduran territory. (Free Press Photo: PNC)

The confrontation between drug traffickers and the Honduran Police

According to Honduran authorities, the attack occurred during an operation related to arrest warrants and alleged drug trafficking activities in Corinto, Omoa, Cortés.

The deputy commissioner of the Honduran National Police, Javier Banegas, stated that some 500 police officers and 200 military personnel were mobilized to surround the area where the confrontation occurred.

Honduran security forces protect the Corinto area after the armed attack that left several agents dead. (Free Press Photo: La Prensa/Honduras)

He indicated that Guatemalan authorities were alerted to verify if any suspects tried to flee towards the border.

“The Guatemalan Police are also activated to verify that they have not fled to that area and in this way they can be captured,” Banegas told Honduran media.

Honduran police maintain security operations in Corinto, Cortés, after the armed confrontation that occurred this Thursday. (Free Press Photo: La Prensa/Honduras)

Another massacre in Honduras

This same Thursday in Honduras, another massacre was recorded at the Paso Aguán de Rigores farm, Trujillo, Colón, where at least 10 people died and another seven remained without official confirmation, according to the newspaper The Herald.

According to Honduran authorities, the victims were gathered in a church on the farm, where they used to pray before starting their work, when they were attacked by armed men.

Elements of the National Police and the Army arrived at the scene hours after the attack and found traces of blood, bullet casings and perforations in the walls, but not the bodies.

They indicated that they are finding out if it was family members or members of organized crime who removed the bodies before the arrival of forensic teams, so until now there is no definitive official number of victims.

Agents of the National Police of Honduras inspect the Paso Aguán de Rigores farm, in Trujillo, Colón, where the massacre occurred. (Free Press Photo: La Prensa/Honduras)
The Paso Aguán de Rigores farm remains under police guard after the massacre that occurred in Trujillo, Colón. (Free Press Photo: La Prensa/Honduras)

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