Guatemalan lawmaker, three police officers killed in armed attack
Authorities said the ambush killed a lawmaker and three police officers, while investigators have not identified suspects or disclosed a motive.
- On Friday, gunmen ambushed Congressman Julio Portillo's convoy in Rio Hondo, Zacapa, killing three people at kilometre 137 of the Atlantic Highway. Authorities described the incident as a "direct attack against the lawmaker."
- Zacapa is widely recognized as a strategic corridor for international drug trafficking and organized crime. The Lorenzana family cartel controls the drug trade in the region, creating conditions for violence.
- Reports regarding fatalities remain inconsistent; the Interior Ministry claims three police officers died, while local accounts identify two officers and one bodyguard. Portillo received medical care but was not shot during the ambush.
- Guatemala's Public Ministry is leading the investigation, though officials have not identified suspects or motives by late Friday. Portillo, who joined the National Unity of Hope party led by Sandra Torres, remains under political scrutiny.
- The attack intensifies security debates ahead of next year's elections, where voters will choose a president and lawmakers. Pressure on Congress and the Interior Ministry for answers is expected in coming days.
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49 Articles
MP Julio Portillo, from opposition to the current government of Bernardo Arévalo, in a photo of October 8, 2024. Johan Ordonez/AFP An opposition deputy died after an armed attack that also left three policemen dead in a region of eastern Guatemala with a strong presence of drug trafficking, reported medical sources and Congress. ✅ Follow the international news channel of the g1 in WhatsApp The attack against MP Julio Portillo occurred on Friday …
The incident occurred in the town of Zapaca, an area controlled by the Lorenzana family cartel, linked to the Mexican Sinaloa cartel; where it is not the first time that one of these armed attacks occurs.
The aggression against legislator Julio Portillo was registered in Zacapa, a territory controlled by the Lorenzana family cartel, linked to the Mexican Sinaloa cartel.
A lawmaker and three police officers were killed in an armed attack in Guatemala on Friday, authorities said.
On 27 September last, eight civilians had been killed in rival gang clashes in the same Zacapa province.
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