HomeNewsBriefGuatemala Overwhelmed by Seizures of Drug Chemicals
BRIEF

Guatemala Overwhelmed by Seizures of Drug Chemicals

GUATEMALA / 13 JAN 2012 BY EDWARD FOX EN

In an indication that Guatemala lacks the resources to deal with the tide of drug precursor chemicals entering the country, the US Embassy has warned its citizens not to travel to certain areas of Guatemala City due to the improper storage of chemicals seized by the authorities.

According to Spanish news agency EFE, the embassy advised US citizens to refrain from going to Zone 6 in Guatemala City. Some 8,800 barrels of precursor chemicals, used to make synthetic drugs and all confiscated in the past month by Guatemalan authorities, are being kept by the Anti-Narcotics Analysis and Information Division (DAIA).

While the embassy assured citizens that the Guatemalan government is taking the necessary steps to mitigate any public safety issues, this appears to run counter to a report in La Prensa Libre suggesting that a school in Zone 6 has long requested the removal of these substances due to the threat posed to its students.

Agents at the DAIA have reported that working with these substances has affected their health.

InSight Crime Analysis

The sharp rise in the confiscation of precursor chemicals in Guatemala comes as Mexican cartels have started to diversify into synthetic drugs -- methamphetamine, LSD, ecstasy -- and push production outside of their own country. It is believed that Mexico's largest trafficking organization, the Sinaloa Cartel, may even now be producing as much methamphetamine in Guatemala, if not more, than they do in Mexico.

In some ways, Guatemala is suffering the consequences of its success in intercepting these chemicals. In 2011, Guatemalan authorities seized 1,600 tons of precursor chemicals, marking a 400 percent increase on the previous year. In October, in the Guatemalan port of Quetzal, the authorities ran out of space to store thousands of tons of precursor chemicals that they had seized.

share icon icon icon

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

What are your thoughts? Click here to send InSight Crime your comments.

We encourage readers to copy and distribute our work for non-commercial purposes, with attribution to InSight Crime in the byline and links to the original at both the top and bottom of the article. Check the Creative Commons website for more details of how to share our work, and please send us an email if you use an article.

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

Related Content

CHAPITOS / 9 JAN 2023

Mexico has arrested one of El Chapo's sons, Ovidio, at a bitter cost. But will it make a difference to…

CHILE / 23 JUN 2022

Ketamine has become all but the most popular synthetic drug in Chile, as traffickers are increasingly marketing ketamine to buyers…

CHAPITOS / 9 AUG 2022

Little clarity has followed the brazen assassination of a local police chief in northern Mexico.

About InSight Crime

THE ORGANIZATION

All Eyes on Ecuador

2 JUN 2023

Our coverage of organized crime in Ecuador continues to be a valuable resource for international and local news outlets. Internationally, Reuters cited our 2022 Homicide Round-Up,…

WORK WITH US

Open Position: Social Media and Engagement Strategist

27 MAY 2023

InSight Crime is looking for a Social Media and Engagement Strategist who will be focused on maintaining and improving InSight Crime’s reputation and interaction with its audiences through publishing activities…

THE ORGANIZATION

Venezuela Coverage Receives Great Reception

27 MAY 2023

Several of InSight Crime’s most recent articles about Venezuela have been well received by regional media. Our article on Venezuela’s colectivos expanding beyond their political role to control access to…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime's Chemical Precursor Report Continues

19 MAY 2023

For the second week in a row, our investigation into the flow of precursor chemicals for the manufacture of synthetic drugs in Mexico has been cited by multiple regional media…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime’s Chemical Precursor Report Widely Cited

THE ORGANIZATION / 12 MAY 2023

We are proud to see that our recently published investigation into the supply chain of chemical precursors feeding Mexico’s synthetic drug production has been warmly received.