The country’s Minister of the Interior, Francisco Jiménez, described in his X profile the actions implemented in the municipality of Las Cruces and said the bushes were worth some six million dollars.

Forces from the National Civil Police (PNC) and the Army participated, as part of the open fight of the current authorities against drug trafficking and organized crime. A week ago, the head of the Interior Ministry himself announced the elimination of 64 thousand marijuana plants in the jungle of that district, destroying plants worth over three million dollars.

That agency announced that during the first half of the year criminal organizations had lost approximately 1,525 million quetzales (almost 200 million dollars) including seizures of illicit substances, money and goods.

In the same period, it confiscated 10,740.05 kilograms of cocaine, 594.51 of marijuana, 5.23 of crack and 1.87 kilograms of methamphetamines.

Faced with constant operations by transnational criminal organizations, local analysts are calling for strengthening the capabilities of the armed forces, PNC and other agencies in order to make the work more effective and productive.

Guatemala seized more than $265 million in drugs, weapons and goods linked to organized crime and drug trafficking during 2023, according to official figures.

Ied/ro/znc