Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09GUATEMALA278
2009-03-24 12:57:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Guatemala
Cable title:  

GUATEMALA: RECENT SIGNIFICANT CRIME EVENTS

Tags:  ASEC GT KCRM 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHGT #0278 0831257
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 241257Z MAR 09
FM AMEMBASSY GUATEMALA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 7173
UNCLAS GUATEMALA 000278 

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR DS/IP/WHA, DS/ITA/WHA, WHA/CEN

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ASEC GT KCRM
SUBJECT: GUATEMALA: RECENT SIGNIFICANT CRIME EVENTS

REF: A. GUATEMALA SPOT REPORT 03/19/2009

B. 09 GUATEMALA 202

UNCLAS GUATEMALA 000278

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR DS/IP/WHA, DS/ITA/WHA, WHA/CEN

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ASEC GT KCRM
SUBJECT: GUATEMALA: RECENT SIGNIFICANT CRIME EVENTS

REF: A. GUATEMALA SPOT REPORT 03/19/2009

B. 09 GUATEMALA 202


1. (SBU) SUMMARY: As violent crime continues to increase
throughout Guatemala, the following are some of the more
recent significant events, including crimes against Embassy
employees and American citizen visitors. END SUMMARY.


2. (SBU) On March 19, 2009, at approximately 0740 hours, an
American citizen Embassy employee, traveling from her
residence to work and within five blocks of the Embassy, was
threatened at gunpoint by a man on a motorcycle who demanded
her cell phone (REF. A). The employee was able to drive away
from the assailant and escaped unharmed.


3. (U) On March 19, 2009, at approximately 0520 hours, the
Acting Mayor of Escuintla, Lilly Mabel Garcia Najera, was
assassinated by four armed men as she was leaving her home
for a municipal conference. A National Civilian Police (PNC)
investigation is underway and no specific motive has been
determined at this time.


4. (SBU) On March 17, 2009, an American citizen visiting her
boyfriend's family in a suburb of Guatemala City received a
note stating that if $5000 USD was not paid within 24 hours,
the American, her boyfriend, and their two children would be
killed. The RSO concluded that it was a legitimate threat by
local gang members and subsequently coordinated a police
escort for the family to the airport where they safely
departed Guatemala for the United States.


5. (SBU) On March 13, 2009, at approximately 1030 hours,
eleven visiting Michigan State University students, traveling
in a contracted tourist van outside of Patulul on Route 11,
were forced to stop their vehicle by several armed men in two
pickup trucks. The assailants boarded their van and drove it
to a nearby secluded location where they robbed all the
passengers of money and electronics and then left the area.
The press reported that the females in the group had been
sexually assaulted, however this has not been confirmed; RSO
is investigating.


6. (SBU) On the morning of March 13, 2009, it was reported
that approximately fifteen armed men in four vehicles
attempted to enter Colonial Oakland, a gated community with
Embassy employee residences as well as the Israeli Embassy.
When the two contract security guards did not immediately
comply, the assailants beat the guards with rifle butts and
then fled the scene. It was reported that some of the
attackers had rifles, grenades, body armor, and spoke with a
foreign accent (possibly Mexican),and that at least one of
the assailant vehicles was armored. The motive is still
unclear, but the RSO does not believe that Americans were the
target.


7. (SBU) On March 12, 2009, an American citizen was
kidnapped from his place of work in Guatemala City. The
kidnappers initially demanded 150,000 quetzals (approximately
$18,750 USD),but after negotiating with the family, accepted
52,000 quetzals (approximately $6450 USD) and released the
victim unharmed on March 14, 2009.


8. (SBU) On March 4, 2009, at approximately 0915 hours, an
official Embassy vehicle was hit by one round of gunfire
while traveling within six blocks of the Embassy (REF. B).
RSO believes that the bullet that hit the Embassy vehicle was
an errant round from the PNC during a felony pursuit and not
intentionally directed at Embassy personnel.


9. (U) Although these are notable incidents, they are just a
small sampling from a country that has been averaging
seventeen homicides every day for the last six months.
McFarland