Authorities found at least 12 bodies over three days in a wooded area outside Guatemala City and suspect the killings are linked to gang territorial disputes. Fire Department spokesman Hans Lemus said two bodies were found Friday, three plus a skeleton Saturday, and six more on Sunday, some wrapped in sheets and plastic. President Bernardo Arévalo has linked the violence to drug-trafficking gangs and recently declared a state of emergency after deadly attacks. Guatemala's homicide rate last year was 16.1 per 100,000, underscoring persistent gang-related violence.
Twelve Bodies Found Near Guatemala City; Authorities Link Killings to Gang Territory Battles
At least 12 bodies were recovered over three days in a wooded area on the outskirts of Guatemala City, authorities said Sunday, and investigators are tying the deaths to gang violence.
Fire Department spokesman Hans Lemus told reporters that two bodies were found on Friday, followed by three bodies and a human skeleton on Saturday. On Sunday, search teams aided by dogs located six additional remains, some wrapped in sheets and plastic bags.
The site is known locally as a place where criminals sometimes abandon victims, according to firefighters and media reports. The Ministry of the Interior said the killings could be linked to rival gangs fighting for control of territory.
"The communities are not alone," President Bernardo Arévalo said, stressing that gangs tied to drug trafficking threaten local populations.
Recent Violence and Government Response
The discovery comes a week after President Arévalo declared a state of emergency in western Guatemala following coordinated attacks in which armed men struck a military post and a police station, blocked roads and hijacked buses — incidents that left at least five people dead, The Associated Press reported.
Gang Context
Guatemala has long contended with organized criminal violence largely attributed to the Barrio 18 and Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gangs. Both groups are designated as terrorist organizations by Guatemala and the United States. The gangs often clash over territory and income streams, extorting shopkeepers, transport workers and residents.
Authorities said that over the summer, armed gang members killed at least seven people during an attack on a funeral for a Barrio 18 member. In October, rescue workers discovered nine bodies under a bridge in Palencia, near the capital.
Guatemalan officials estimate that nearly half of the country's violence is carried out by drug traffickers and gang members. The country ended last year with a homicide rate of 16.1 per 100,000 inhabitants — more than double the global average — a statistic authorities cite when warning of the gangs' threat to communities.
Investigations into the newly discovered remains are ongoing as forensic teams work to identify victims and determine the circumstances of their deaths.
