The Guatemalan security forces have made another significant arrest in the ongoing crackdown on drug trafficking in the country. Erick Manuel Ochoa Villagrán, known as Perica, was apprehended on December 16, 2023, at kilometer 180 of the Cito Zarco route in San Martín Zapotitlán, Retalhuleu. This arrest was made in coordination with the Anti-Drug Information Analysis Subdirectorate (SGAIA) of the National Civil Police (PNC).
Ochoa Villagrán, 38, who hails from El Tumbador, San Marcos, is wanted by the United States justice system to stand trial in the District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. The charges against him include conspiracy to manufacture and distribute cocaine. According to officials, Ochoa Villagrán was leaving a recreational center in the San Martín Zapotitlán area when he was arrested.
This arrest marks the 20th time in 2023 that Guatemalan nationals have been apprehended for extradition purposes, as reported by SGAIA records. Just five days prior to Ochoa Villagrán’s arrest, Juan José Morales Cifuentes, also known as Pancho, was taken into custody by anti-narcotics agents and prosecutors. Morales Cifuentes had an active arrest warrant for extradition to the United States on charges of trafficking cocaine.
The investigation into Morales Cifuentes revealed his involvement in trafficking drugs from Colombia to Mexico and the United States. It was also discovered that he had businesses in Guatemala, including a hardware store and a vehicle dealership, through which he allegedly conducted illicit activities.
Morales Cifuentes had arrived in the capital, accompanied by armed men, to go shopping with his wife, the elected mayor of Ayutla, San Marcos, Isel Súñiga. There are suspicions that Morales Cifuentes had taken over the drug trafficking business of his deceased father-in-law, Erick Súñiga, known as El Pocho.
The latest arrests are part of ongoing efforts to stem the tide of drug trafficking and organized crime in Guatemala. Authorities continue to work vigilantly to address these issues and bring perpetrators to justice.