Guatemala and El Salvador police arrest suspects in gang kidnappings and related crimes

Guatemala's Policía Nacional Civil (PNC) announced new charges against four alleged members of the kidnapping gang “Los Depredadores.” The suspects — Otto René Argueta García, Gary Edilson Ramírez Divas, Erickson David Herrera De León and Alba Emelí Orellana — were notified of offenses including illicit association, kidnapping and aggravated rape at facilities in Escuintla and Zone 18, Guatemala City. The gang is accused of luring victims with pit‑bull dogs before abducting them for ransom.

In El Salvador, the PNC reported the homicide of MS‑13 gunman Carlos Mario Ramírez in San Dionisio, Usulután, and the capture of three individuals suspected of kidnapping a 15‑year‑old girl in San Juan Opico, La Libertad. The detained suspects include two Guatemalans, Manuel Esaú Más Juan and Luis Fernando Xitumul López, and Salvadoran María Ofelia Galicia Zarceño.

Following the July 14 payment of the “Bono 14,” the Guatemalan PNC warned of a surge in pickpocketing and outlined new security measures. Subdirector José Cornel Santos said, “El despliegue se enfoca especialmente en centros comerciales, pasarelas, paradas de taxis y transporte colectivo,” adding that real‑time monitoring technology will help prevent and intervene in thefts.

A separate PNC raid in Palencia, Guatemala, uncovered a 17‑year‑old carrying three pistols, a carbine and 15 packages of cocaine, leading to his detention and court referral.

In Honduras, a mother accused three youths of forcing her 16‑year‑old son to participate in an assault in Namasigüe, Choluteca, and brought the complaint to the Dirección Policial de Investigaciones, alleging threats against her child.