Tunnel and smuggling caches discovered at Pavón Penal Farm, Guatemala
Authorities from the General Directorate of the Penitentiary System (DGSP) of Guatemala carried out a major intervention at the Pavón Penal Farm after receiving intelligence alerts. During the operation, an underground tunnel was located which, according to preliminary investigations, had been designed to facilitate the escape of inmates toward the facility’s perimeter fence.
Jorge Guillermo López Dellachiessa, director of the DGSP, reported that the structure had sufficient dimensions to house one or more people. Although it was initially suspected that the space was used to hide illicit objects, recent findings point to an escape plan in development.
Research on the origin of the construction
The discovery has raised questions about how the construction of a structure of such magnitude was permitted within a prison facility. Although inmates do not have authorized access to excavation tools, the system director announced that a thorough investigation has been initiated against prison staff members and other potentially involved parties to determine responsibilities.
The tunnel, located under one of the ranches designated for labor projects in the green areas, featured unusual finishes, including construction materials such as paving stones. Given the risk it poses, the authorities have ordered the total demolition of said structure using heavy machinery from the Army Corps of Engineers.
Blow to smuggling: weapons, drugs, and alcohol seized
In addition to the tunnel, the search allowed for the dismantling of a second underground cache reinforced with bricks. In this space, authorities found more than 700 units of alcoholic beverages, as well as various liquors. The operation also yielded the following results:
- Confiscation of 35 cell phones.
- Seizure of illicit substances, including suspected marijuana found in bags and plants grown in plastic containers.
- All seized material was immediately incinerated in accordance with security protocols.
Reaction of government authorities
The president of Guatemala, Bernardo Arévalo, spoke about the case through his digital platforms, highlighting the coordination between the Ministry of the Interior and the Army. The president reaffirmed that his administration maintains a firm fight against organized crime, stressing that prisons will not be allowed to operate as criminal command centers.
We will continue to strike organized crime wherever they try to hide. We are waging the battle that for years no one wanted to fight: to definitively keep criminals away from the people.
President Bernardo Arévalo
For his part, the Minister of the Interior, Marco Antonio Villeda, described the operation as a resounding blow to criminal structures and assured that the General Inspectorate of the system is already working to sanction those responsible for this breach of national security.
