Guatemala and Honduras police dismantle criminal surveillance networks

Security forces in Guatemala and Honduras are conducting operations to dismantle criminal surveillance networks and combat the tactical migration of gangs into residential areas.

In Honduras, the Military Police of Public Order (PMOP) removed over 100 illegally installed surveillance cameras in San Pedro Sula and La Lima. Authorities stated these devices were placed on public utility poles to allow criminal organizations to monitor the movements of police and military personnel, effectively “taking away the eyes” of these structures.

In Guatemala, the National Civil Police (PNC) has issued alerts regarding a new criminal modality where gangs move operations into gated communities and residential zones to evade detection. Criminals reportedly use “straw men” with clean records to rent or purchase properties, which are then converted into safe houses or illicit operational centers.

Additionally, the PNC has continued removing unauthorized cameras in municipalities such as Santa Catarina Pinula, where illegal networks were used by criminal groups to track neighbors and anticipate security patrols.