4 heads found in Guatemala near Congress, fire station, shopping plaza; organized crime blamed
By APThursday, June 10, 2010
4 severed human heads found in Guatemalan capital
GUATEMALA CITY — Four decapitated heads were found in prominent areas of the capital Thursday in what police said were likely revenge killings in response to a crackdown on organized crime.
The heads were discovered at the main door of the congressional building, near a fire station, on the stairs of a popular shopping center and in a neighborhood in northern Guatemala City, said police spokesman Donald Gonzalez. Attached to the heads were messages written on cardboard blaming the government for the deaths.
“They left them in strategic places where there’s a lot of foot traffic so everyone could see them,” Gonzalez said.
Police found what they believe to be the bodies of two of the victims, none of whom have been identified. No arrests have been made.
The killings come after several high-profile arrests of suspected drug traffickers and kidnappers and new restrictions against inmates who regularly smuggled drugs, alcohol, weapons and women into prisons, Gonzalez said.
Mexican drug gangs, which have been gaining a foothold in Guatemala, have sometimes used decapitation killings to terrorize rivals, though there was no immediate evidence they were involved.
Earlier this week, the head of a U.N. commission charged with fighting crime and corruption in Guatemala resigned, accusing the government of not doing enough to help with investigations.
