Central America
Salvadoran authorities have seized more than 28.6 tons of drugs since 2019
March 3rd |
Security forces in El Salvador have managed to strike hard blows against drug trafficking throughout the national territory, since June 2019 to date, 28.6 tons of different drugs have been seized from various structures, which exceeds the amount of narcotics confiscated in the five years of the last FMLN administration that totaled 23.1 tons.
The Minister of Defense, Rene Merino Monroy has highlighted that the drugs are valued at $629.47 million, among the types of drugs are: cocaine, marijuana and methamphetamines seized in different procedures throughout the country. “We will continue working in support of the National Civil Police in the effort to remove the financing of these structures and rid the country of gangs,” reiterated the official.
According to Security data, in 2021, El Salvador stood out due to its historic seizure when 11.7 tons of narcotics were seized, the market value of which exceeded $274 million, while in 2020, the year of the pandemic, Security authorities seized 2.93 tons of different types of drugs, valued at more than $48 million.
Last year, authorities surpassed the amount of drugs seized in 2021, seizing 13,020 kilograms of different drugs valued at more than $350 million. In addition, the articulated work between the institutions allowed the arrests of more than 40 people, between nationals and foreigners, linked to international drug trafficking, who were captured while transporting heavy loads of cocaine at sea.
The Security Cabinet assures that the hard blows against drug trafficking are the result of the actions carried out within the framework of the Territorial Control Plan and the exception regime, measures with which the country has “broken records”. The authorities assure that, through drug seizures, the structures are deprived of financing and their actions are weakened.
“The Government of El Salvador continues this frontal fight against drug trafficking not only on the high seas, but also in our territory, something very important to note, is that during the previous administration seizures on land were almost nil and now we have added a strong work of the National Civil Police doing their work on land,” said Minister Merino Monroy.
One of the biggest blows to international drug trafficking operations was executed on November 14, 2022, when security forces intercepted a narco-boat carrying 3.1 tons of drugs valued at $77 million. The shipment was located 470 nautical miles – some 870 kilometers – southwest of the Port of Acajutla, Sonsonate department.
“The drug traffickers sank the boat, but our troops managed to recover the drugs, so that they could not be rescued later by the drug traffickers. This is the largest seizure of the year and means that 2022 will surpass the amount of drugs seized in 2021 and 2020”, said the President of the Republic, Nayib Bukele, on that occasion.
During the operation, three Ecuadorian citizens were arrested and identified as: Gluber David Alay Reyes, Julio César Delgado Molina and Jorge Luis Mero, who are in prison awaiting trial for international drug trafficking.
Central America
Guatemala swears in new attorney general after controversial exit of Consuelo Porras
The new Attorney General of Guatemala, Gabriel García Luna, officially took office on Sunday and pledged to restore public confidence in the institution while strengthening efforts against corruption and organized crime.
“Today does not mark the beginning of just another administration. Today marks an opportunity to restore dignity to Guatemala’s criminal justice system,” said García Luna, who was appointed by President Bernardo Arévalo.
García Luna succeeds Consuelo Porras, whose tenure began in 2018 and became highly controversial due to accusations of undermining democratic institutions and obstructing anti-corruption investigations.
Porras was sanctioned by the United States, the European Union, Canada, and the United Kingdom, among others, over allegations related to corruption and interference in judicial processes.
Her administration was also criticized for allegedly attempting to block President Arévalo’s inauguration in 2024 and for pursuing legal actions against former anti-mafia prosecutors, judges, journalists, and Indigenous leaders, many of whom later went into exile.
During his inauguration speech, García Luna acknowledged that many Guatemalans had lost trust in the Attorney General’s Office.
“For years, many Guatemalans lost confidence in the institution, not because they stopped believing in justice, but because justice stopped believing in them. Today begins the duty to restore that trust,” he stated.
The new attorney general also admitted he inherited an institution “with deep wounds.”
The United States has accused Porras of obstructing anti-corruption investigations to protect political allies and secure political favors.
Critics argue that such actions benefited the so-called “pact of the corrupt,” an alleged network of political, economic, and criminal interests believed to exert influence over Guatemala’s justice system.
Central America
Mulino Vows Tougher Crackdown as Homicides Increase in Panama
Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino said Thursday that his administration will not negotiate with gangs in an attempt to curb the wave of violence that has recently shaken the country and fueled growing public concern over insecurity.
“I am not going to sit down, nor is the security minister going to sit down with the leader of any gang to negotiate,” Mulino stated while rejecting any possibility of dialogue with criminal organizations.
According to statistics from the Public Ministry of Panama, the country recorded 62 homicides in April, nearly double the 34 reported during the same month last year. In March, authorities registered 53 killings, representing a 20% increase compared to the same period in 2025.
Panamanian authorities say the country’s two main gangs, among more than 180 criminal organizations identified nationwide, are behind the recent escalation in violence.
The National Police of Panama stated that disputes over territorial control, recruitment of new members, and drug theft between rival gangs are driving the increase in murders and armed attacks.
Mulino also expressed concern about innocent civilians becoming victims of the violence.
“They are in restaurants, they are in schools, and they become victims of these shootings,” the president said.
The Panamanian leader further called for tougher judicial measures against gang leaders and drug trafficking operators, criticizing court decisions that grant house arrest to suspects linked to contract killings and organized crime.
“We are going to act as we must to defend the overwhelming majority of Panamanian citizens, who are not criminals and are not drug traffickers,” Mulino stated.
Authorities believe that rising cocaine production in South America and Panama’s role as a transit route for drugs destined for the United States and Europe continue to strengthen gangs involved in narcotics trafficking.
Central America
Arévalo Announces Overhaul of Guatemala’s Prison System Amid Security Crisis
Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo said Thursday that his administration is working on a major transformation of the country’s prison system in an effort to end what he described as a “feast of corruption” inside Guatemala’s jails.
Speaking during an official ceremony in which Guatemala received 20 new inmate transport vehicles with support from the United States and the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI), Arévalo stressed that prisons must no longer remain under the control of criminal organizations.
“Prisons should not be places where crime is perfected, but places where rehabilitation becomes possible,” the president said during his speech.
Arévalo explained that the addition of the new vehicles will strengthen security, surveillance, and operational control within the penitentiary system, which is considered one of the most overcrowded in the region.
Guatemala’s prisons currently hold more than 25,000 inmates in facilities originally designed for approximately 7,000 people, representing overcrowding levels exceeding 300%. Authorities acknowledge that these conditions have enabled gangs and criminal groups to coordinate extortion schemes, murders, and other crimes from inside prison facilities.
The crisis reached one of its most critical moments in January, when government attempts to regain control of several prisons triggered riots in three detention centers across the country.
Following the operations, members of the Barrio 18 gang allegedly carried out armed attacks in different areas of the country, leaving 11 officers from Guatemala’s National Civil Police dead.
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Central America4 days agoArévalo Announces Overhaul of Guatemala’s Prison System Amid Security Crisis
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Central America2 days agoGuatemala swears in new attorney general after controversial exit of Consuelo Porras
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Central America4 days agoMulino Vows Tougher Crackdown as Homicides Increase in Panama