Guatemala steps up patrols along border as US extends border security goals south

OCOS, Guatemala (AP) — As the United States authorities works to efficaciously widen its borderline information objectives southbound into Central America, countries similar Guatemala person travel nether renewed scrutiny and unit to measurement up their ain borderline enforcement.

On Thursday, a Guatemalan service portion patrolled the Suchiate stream that forms the occidental extremity of the Guatemala-Mexico border. The patrol was portion of stepped up borderline operations since January, said Col. Juan Ernesto Celis.

President Bernardo Arévalo has said migration is simply a right, but successful a regulated fashion.

The soldiers connected patrol are looking to halt amerciable arms, cause and quality trafficking crossed Guatemala’s borders. At this border, they often coordinate with their Mexican counterparts.

Ann Marie Argueta, spokeswoman for Guatemala’s defence department, said Thursday that the subject wants to not lone support against crimes that endanger the population, but besides forestall “incursions into nationalist territory by transnational organized crime.”

When U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Guatemala successful February, Arévalo announced that Guatemala would signifier a caller borderline information unit to patrol its borders with Honduras and El Salvador arsenic well.

Last July, astir 600 Mexicans fled warring betwixt cartels successful their borderline communities and sought refuge successful Guatemala. Mexico's 2 astir almighty cartels from the bluish states of Sinaloa and Jalisco person been battling for power of lucrative smuggling routes successful confederate Mexico.