Guatemala Looks for Answers After Finding 20 Inmates Gone

Some 45,000 Guatemalan police officers are on the hunt for fewer than two dozen men. The New York Times reports that officials on Sunday revealed 20 inmates—all allegedly linked to the notorious Barrio 18 gang—managed to escape from a maximum-security prison outside Guatemala City over some period of time. Officials said the inmates likely slipped out gradually, possibly during prison visits, and that security protocols at Fraijanes II prison were "weak." The facility lacked technology for thorough prisoner counts, and authorities suspect some staff may have been bribed.

So far, only one of the escapees—a gang leader serving a 180-year sentence—has been recaptured. The incident has spurred the dismissal of several prison officials, including the director of the prison system, though he is not suspected of working with the gang. Interior Minister Francisco Jiménez acknowledged the lack of a "good explanation" and said all prison directors will now face polygraph tests. The Guatemalan government is working with Interpol and neighboring countries, especially Mexico, to track down the fugitives. El Pais reports the US designated Barrio 18—which operates in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras—as a foreign terrorist organization in September; the Times notes it has been likened to MS-13.