Huité, Zacapa, Guatemala
At least six people died in an armed clash that took place on the afternoon and evening of the 27th. The incident involved a group of heavily-armed men who are unofficially linked with an attempt to capture alleged drug trafficker Haroldo Waldemar Lorenzana Terraza, alias 'Haroldito'.
The Public Prosecutor's Office processed three crime scenes:
*a vehicle fired upon at the entrance of the municipality, where three women died - 50-year-old Vilma E.P.P., and her two daughters, 27-year-old Cinthya G.P. and 21-year-old Uve L.P.P.
*two men found in the El Campo neighbourhood
*one man found in the village of La Oscurana.
All the victims were shot dead. Two of the men have been publicly identified - 26-year-old Carlos J.M.P. and 45-year-old Juan C.P.A.
Sources from the Ministry of Defence denied any Army involvement and attributed the events to a clash between two criminal groups involved in drug trafficking. One group reportedly entered the municipality during a soccer match at the municipal stadium, triggering a reaction from the other group. Military personnel attempted to arrive to provide security, but local residents blocked the streets.
Unofficial reports claim the deployment was an attempt to capture 'Haroldito', a leader of the Lorenzana clan, and alleged to have links with the Sinaloa cartel, who is wanted by the United States. Resistance from locals prevented Haroldito from being captured, and although a family member was briefly detained, authorities were unable to hold them.
