Los Zetas organization threatens southern coast and capital in Guatemala

The southern coast of Guatemala, as well as the capital city, is seeing heightened drug activity due to the mobilization of the Mexican drug trafficking organization Los Zetas. The exhaustion of resources and power in the Petén, Izabal, Zacapa and Huehuetenango areas, which were locations of serious conflicts over the last five years, is blamed for the new threat in the south of the country. Also, according to Siglo 21, this shift in strategy is caused by the Zetas’ ambition to occupy more territory, the capture of central drug traffickers, and the detection and destruction of major clandestine airstrips. Drug trafficking organizations in Guatemala have disintegrated into smaller groups, prompting them to seek control as well. Many of the main drug routes through the country are still being used, but officials say some modifications have been made in order to avoid detection. The Zetas cartel, according to experts, attempts to terrorize populations in order to ensure their operations are carried out without interference, which may explain recent activity. Read Article