The U.S. has dispatched a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) team to support Guatemalan authorities in apprehending members of the Barrio 18 gang following a mass prison break. The operation follows an escape from Fraijanes II prison near Guatemala City in November 2025, where 20 gang members fled. Only four have been recaptured, triggering a severe security crisis.
Guatemala’s president, Bernardo Arevalo, replaced his interior minister, Francisco Jimenez, after the incident and formally requested FBI assistance. The agency’s Joint Task Force Vulcan, established under President Donald J. Trump, will lead efforts to dismantle criminal networks. Barrio 18, designated a terrorist organization by both the U.S. and Guatemala, is linked to widespread violence and drug trafficking.
The Guatemalan Attorney General’s Office has also sought to lift Arevalo’s legal immunity to investigate potential negligence in the jailbreak. The U.S. Embassy condemned the escape as “utterly unacceptable,” urging immediate action from local authorities.
