Local law enforcement in Flores Guatemala, capital of Peten Department, Guatemala’s landlocked, northernmost department, are investigating the deaths of three men, found in a rural road with Mexican Army identification cards on their persons.
The local police there said that the three men were on their way to Aldea Purusila and the killing is being investigated as linked to drug trafficking. About 190 families comprised of about 1,000 persons live in the remote village where the men were found. Peten Department covers about 1/3rd of Guatemala, but has less than 10% of the population.
The Mexican Army has maintained a permanent border posting with the Peten Department in order to stem the flow of migrants through the numerous jungle crossing points throughout the rural area. However, this is the first time Mexican Armed Forces personnel, especially in plain clothes, have been killed in this area.
