Guatemala's Interior Minister Marco Antonio Villeda says gang members killed seven police officers in a retaliatory attack after authorities refused to move gang leaders to lower-security prisons. The violence followed prison uprisings in which 46 people were taken hostage across three facilities; police retook Renovación I and freed nine hostages. Ten officers were wounded and one suspected gang member was killed; 37 hostages remain at two other prisons.
Guatemala: Seven Police Killed in Retaliation After Prison Crackdown
Soldiers take position outside the maximum-security prison in Escuintla, Guatemala (JOHAN ORDONEZ)(JOHAN ORDONEZ/AFP/AFP)
Guatemala's Interior Minister Marco Antonio Villeda says organized gang members carried out retaliatory attacks that killed seven National Civil Police officers on Sunday after the government refused to move gang leaders to lower-security facilities.
The violence followed a coordinated uprising in which inmates linked to gangs took 46 people hostage across three prisons. Security forces supported by the army launched an operation at Renovación I, a maximum-security prison in Escuintla about 75 km (45 miles) south of Guatemala City, retaking the facility and freeing nine hostages.
What Happened
At dawn on Sunday, police backed by the military entered Renovación I using armored vehicles and tear gas. After roughly 15 minutes, authorities said they regained control of the prison and released nine guards who had been held hostage. An AFP photographer at the scene reported the same.
"I am deeply saddened by the deaths of seven National Civil Police officers who were cowardly attacked by these terrorists in response to the actions the Guatemalan state is taking against them," Interior Minister Marco Antonio Villeda said at a press conference.
Villeda said ten other police officers were wounded and one suspected gang member was killed in the retaliatory violence. The prison posted on X that the leader of the Mara 18 gang, known as "Lobo" (Wolf), had been "neutralized" during the operation.
Hostages and Ongoing Situation
Authorities say a total of 46 people were taken hostage across three prisons on Saturday. After the operation at Renovación I, hostages remain held at two other facilities: 28 at Fraijanes II (east of Guatemala City) and nine at the Preventivo prison on the city's outskirts — a total of 37 still captive.
Villeda emphasized the government's stance: "I am not willing to negotiate, nor to restore their privileges, nor to grant any kind of concession to stop this situation from continuing."
Background And Context
The Barrio 18 gang (Mara 18) and the rival Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) are blamed for much of the drug trafficking and violent crime in Guatemala. Both groups are designated as terrorist organizations by the United States. Prison uprisings demanding that gang leaders be kept in less-restricted conditions have recurred since mid-2025.
In October, authorities reported that 20 Barrio 18 leaders escaped from a prison; only six were recaptured and one was shot and killed. Guatemala ended last year with a homicide rate of 16.1 per 100,000 inhabitants — more than double the global average — underscoring the country's ongoing security challenges.
Current status: Authorities have retaken Renovación I and freed nine hostages, but operations and investigations are ongoing. The government has expressed refusal to negotiate concessions to end the hostage situations.
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