27 MEMBERS OF MARA SALVATRUCHA AND MARA 18 GANGS ARRESTED FOR MULTIPLE CRIMES

Guatemala, July 13, 2012. Today, in a series of premises searches, coordinated by the Public Prosecutor’s Office (MP), the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Defense and CICIG, 27 members of the Mara Salvatrucha and Mara 18 gangs were arrested—including six minors—for allegedly being involved in multiple crimes that took place on June 10, 2010. The crimes were intended to strike terror into the Guatemalan people.

The arrested parties face charges of murder, unlawful association and extortion. The searches were implemented in Chimaltenango, Villa Nueva, San José Pinula and in various sectors of Guatemala City, and the authorities uncovered an AK-47 rifle, a 9-mm pistol and 100 rounds of ammunition of different calibers.

The Attorney General Claudia Paz y Paz recalled that the murders came in response to orders passed down by gang members held at the Boquerón Prison, in the department of Santa Rosa, due to the alleged abuse being suffered in the country's prisons. At a later stage, five human heads were discovered in different parts of the capital.

"Multiple crimes were committed to create fear and achieve spurious goals. Therefore, Marcelino Alfredo Jesús Tzoy was arrested in Villa Nueva today for allegedly being the person who coordinated the death and decapitation of four male subjects," explained the Attorney General.

As reported by the Vice Minister of the Interior, Arkel Benítez, the arrested parties are:

Mara Salvatrucha gang
1. Marcelino Jesús Tzoy
2. Carlos Roberto Cilindres Álvarez
3. Marcos José Álvarez López
4. Juan Alberto Valdés Chacón
5. Mildred Gabriela Bautista Rivas
6. Clemente Yaxón Taitui
7. Josué Israel Pivaral Mejía
8. Ervin Armando Cumes
9. Nrgo

Members of Barrio 18 Gang
10. Víctor Ludwig Barillas Valdizón
11. Manuel Enrique Lemus Dardón
12. César Gabriel Melgar Hernández
13. Cristian Augusto Álvarez Boch
14. Pedro Antonio Aquino Chajón
15. Arinsson Jeannette Yupe Gómez
16. Bety Vicenta Chávez Contreras
17. Alejandra Estefanía Gómez Elías
18. Alias “Litle escandaloso”
19. Alias “Litle escandaloso”
20. Alias "La cuatro”
21. Alias “El Hugo”
22. Alias la “Tirza”

Belief in the Justice System
Commissioner Francisco Javier Dall'Anese Ruiz declared that, bearing these most recent acts in mind, Guatemalans can trust the authorities because they have proven to be capable of working in an institutional and coordinated fashion in the fight against criminal structures.

"The operations implemented today show that the actions taken on Sunday—in which more than 1000 people took part (including police officers, prosecutors, members of the Ministry of Defense and CICIG)—did not occur by chance," he remarked.

He added that the arrests were made today without any member of the authorities being injured and without violating the fundamental rights of people, showing that "coordination between institutions as well as respect for the Rule of Law is possible. The institutions received a baptism by fire and they have shown their great strength in the fight against crime."

For the past 14 months, CICIG has been working together with the Public Prosecutor’s Office (MP) on this investigation.