hundreds of gang members are changed prisons due to extortion

The Ministry of the Interior of Guatemala transferred some 225 inmates belonging to the Barrio 18 gang on Sunday to improve the conditions of the prison in which they were held, reinforce security measures and prevent extortion that was carried out from prison.

The Minister of the Interior, Francisco Jiménez, told The Associated Press that the operation seeks to “recover control of the prison, where the inmates were free, and… reconcentrate and place all the cliques (groups) of members of the Barrio 18 gang to exercise greater control.”

In the operation, which began at dawn, authorities found crocodiles, a gray fox and a raccoon inside the prison that were in the possession of the gang members. Also a special chair for the use of video game players.

Jiménez said that the prison where the inmates were held called “El infiernito” – located in the department of Escuintla, in the south of the country – will be remodeled and will become a maximum security center.

The prisoners were transferred to other prisons, although authorities avoided giving specific details for security reasons.

At noon, authorities toured the prison that had been modified by inmates to accommodate special rooms, said Vice Minister Claudia Palencia. A large number of household appliances such as refrigerators, televisions, air conditioners and microwave ovens were found in the premises.

“Within 30 days we hope to have the remodeling done. There are cables everywhere and connectors everywhere, all of that has to be cut,” said the official, who explained that cameras will be used for greater control.

Palencia said that several appliances were even authorized by judges, so he called on the magistrates to also contribute to the reform.

Inside the prison, the inmates even modified the floors and ceilings to their liking and had internet and cable. The place was also decorated with graffiti in reference to gang membership.

Sergio Vela, director of the Penitentiary System, said that the remodeled prison will be run by a renewed guard and that each of the agents must pass security and reliability checks.

A week ago the Ministry of the Interior separated and isolated four of the main leaders of the gang whom it linked to the death of Jorge Sebastián Pop Chocoj, known as Farruko Pop, an 18-year-old indigenous man who was famous for his content on the networks. social.

The young man disappeared for six days and his body was found buried in a grave in an uninhabited house north of the Guatemalan capital, an area of ​​influence of the gang members. His crime would have been to create anxiety in the population, according to the authorities.

In April, Jiménez blamed members of Barrio 18 for being the material and intellectual authors of several murders that occurred in the capital as part of a struggle between gang members.

“El Infiernito” has been the epicenter of violent actions such as the taking of hostages and the ordering of selective murders. In 2017, the then director of that prison, José María Pérez Corado, was murdered. According to the prosecution, the prison guards coordinated his death with the gang members because he refused to give them privileges.

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