Large Criminal Activity
Guatemala declares state of emergency after prison riots and attacks on police
Prison riots and subsequent attacks on police believed to be linked to gang activity trigger a nationwide state of emergency and military-backed crackdown.
Authorities in Guatemala reported coordinated prison riots in which inmates took dozens of guards hostage at multiple facilities. The unrest followed government moves to restrict jailed gang leaders, prompting a violent backlash. After security forces retook one prison, suspected gang members carried out wave‑style attacks on police in the capital, killing at least nine officers and wounding several others, some critically. President Bernardo Arévalo responded by declaring a 30‑day nationwide state of emergency, granting expanded powers to police and the army to combat organized crime. Analysts link the violence to the Barrio 18 and Mara Salvatrucha (MS‑13) gangs, which have long controlled large‑scale extortion, drug trafficking, and prison‑based criminal operations in Guatemala.
- Status
- active
- Location
- Guatemala City, Guatemala
- Date added
- 2026-03-26 00:34 UTC
- Last updated
- 2026-03-26 00:34 UTC
- Connected threats
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- Not Available