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Coordinated prison riots by designated terrorist organization Barrio 18 have triggered retaliatory attacks killing seven police officers in Guatemala City. Security forces recaptured one prison and a top gang leader, but 37 hostages remain held at two facilities. Nationwide school closure in effect for 19 January. Organizations with Guatemala operations should implement shelter-in-place protocols and postpone non-essential travel until the crisis resolves.

SITUATION OVERVIEW

On 17 January 2026, inmates at three Guatemalan prisons staged coordinated riots, taking at least 46 people hostage including prison guards and a psychologist. The riots were organized by members of the Barrio 18 gang, designated a terrorist organization by both Guatemala and the United States, demanding better conditions and the transfer of their leader to a lower-security facility.

In the early hours of 18 January, hundreds of anti-riot police entered the Renovación 1 maximum-security prison in Escuintla, approximately 76 kilometers southwest of Guatemala City. Security forces freed nine hostages and captured Aldo Duppie, alias "El Lobo," the top Barrio 18 leader currently serving sentences totaling approximately 2,000 years. An Associated Press journalist on scene reported the freed hostages appeared unharmed.

Shortly after the prison recapture, coordinated retaliatory attacks targeted police officers in and around Guatemala City. According to Interior Minister Marco Antonio Villeda, the attacks resulted in seven police officers killed and ten wounded. National Civil Police Director David Boteo confirmed at least ten separate armed attacks against police and warned of potential attacks on civilians, urging residents to remain indoors.

AFFECTED LOCATIONS