DistantNews
Gang war erupts in Guatemala City over drug trade control
🇬🇹 Guatemala /Conflict & Security

Gang war erupts in Guatemala City over drug trade control

From Prensa Libre · (8m ago) Spanish Critical tone

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • A violent dispute over drug dealing and extortion control is escalating in Guatemala City's Zone 6 between the Mara Salvatrucha (MS), Barrio 18, and the Caradura group.
  • Investigations by the National Civil Police (PNC) reveal that MS is attempting to displace Caradura and consolidate its dominance in the area, leading to increased armed attacks.
  • The conflict has resulted in at least 12 deaths and three injuries in recent weeks, with MS targeting Barrio 18 members who allegedly operate for Caradura, and retaliatory attacks occurring.

Guatemala City is witnessing a dangerous escalation of violence in Zone 6, fueled by a fierce turf war between powerful gangs vying for control of the lucrative drug trade and extortion rackets. The National Civil Police (PNC) have identified the Mara Salvatrucha (MS), Barrio 18, and the local Caradura group as the primary actors in this deadly conflict, which has already claimed 12 lives and injured three others in a series of armed attacks throughout April.

According to police intelligence, the Mara Salvatrucha is aggressively seeking to displace the Caradura group, which previously held sway in areas like El Gallito in Zone 3 and has extended its influence into Zone 6. MS aims to establish a stranglehold on retail drug sales and extortion activities in key neighborhoods such as Los Cipresales and Los Proyectos. This territorial ambition has led to direct confrontations, with the PNC reporting at least three shootings carried out by MS against alleged Barrio 18 members, who are believed to be working with Caradura. The violence is not one-sided, as evidenced by a retaliatory attack that resulted in the death of a suspected MS member and injuries to two others.

Las pesquisas apuntan a una discoteca que opera un influencer en la zona 6. Este comercio es parte de la estructura de los Caradura y ahora la Mara Salvatrucha quiere tomar el control

— PNC sourceIndicating a specific business, a nightclub run by an influencer, as a point of contention in the gang dispute.

The conflict's intensity is further highlighted by the fact that these gangs have diversified their operations beyond traditional street crime. The MS, for instance, has already taken over nightclubs and "show bars" in affluent zones 9, 10, and 14, previously managed by Caradura. The assassination of Francisco Edgar Domínguez Higueros, a reported leader within the Caradura drug trafficking structure, on June 26, 2025, underscores the brutal nature of this power struggle. The PNC estimates that gangs control approximately 80% of the retail drug market, with ongoing disputes concentrated in departments like Guatemala, Escuintla, Petén, and Chimaltenango, indicating a pervasive problem that extends beyond the capital city.

La violencia estaba ligada a la expansión del narcomenudeo, el cual controlan las pandillas en un 80%.

— David Custodio BoteoDirector of the PNC, linking the violence to the expansion of drug dealing controlled by gangs.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Prensa Libre in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog