Guatemalan authorities move MS-13 members to another penitentiary.
In Guatemala, members of the notorious Barrio 18 gang have been running a secret empire in a prison and operating a crime center right outside the facility. On Sunday, all 225 gang members were relocated from the "El Infiernito" prison south of Guatemala City to a different detention center. When authorities entered the prison, they found free-roaming chickens, a bathtub with crocodiles, raccoons, foxes, hawks, and various birds of prey, among other discoveries. It is said that the inmates also had luxurious conveniences like air conditioners, TVs, and fridges. The call center, which was being run with mobile phones and boasted an internet connection, had been dismantled during a previous police raid.
In an announcement on the online platform X, Interior Minister Francisco Jimenez revealed that the police uncovered free-roaming chickens, a tub with crocodiles, raccoons, foxes, hawks, and other birds of prey in the prison. The inmates were purportedly also enjoying luxurious amenities such as air conditioners, TVs, and fridges. The call center, which operated with mobile phones and even had an internet connection, had already been shut down during a previous police raid.
"We will root out all the secret stashes where money, firearms, and mobile phones were stored, even if it means demolishing every wall and ripping up the flooring," Jimenez declared. The government has taken control of the prison and aims to transform it into a "true maximum security prison" with "tight controls." "It's a prison, not a holiday," he concluded, reminiscing about the luxury items found in the cells.
Claudia Palencia, Vice-Minister of Security, shared that "predecessor governments" had left the prison to rot more than 30 years ago. This abandonment had allowed the inmates to live a "comfortable lifestyle."
Guatemala is known to be one of the most treacherous countries in Latin America. Over the past year, more than 4,360 murders have been recorded in the country, half of which were linked to drug and gang-related crimes. The Barrio 18 gang is well-known for its involvement in extortion. Officials claim that the majority of phone calls from extortionists can be traced back to prisons.
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In an effort to combat the influence of gangs like Barrio 18, Guatemalan authorities decided to relocate gang members from the "El Infiernito" prison to a different detention center. Despite the relocation, concerns remain about the operation of illegal call centers in Guatemalan prisons, as many believe that phones and even an internet connection were being used for criminal activities. One of the unique discoveries made in the "El Infiernito" prison was the presence of pets like chickens, crocodiles, raccoons, foxes, hawks, and various birds of prey, suggesting a strange blend of prison and petting zoo.
