HomeNews
NewsSouthwest

Guatemala’s most wanted fugitive captured in Chiapas

MND Staff
By MND Staff
6
Guatemala's most wanted fugitive, La Chicharra, stands in a Guatemalan airport wearing a blue T-shirt, surrounded by masked soldiers in front of a sign reading
La Chicharra was one of the most wanted fugitives in both Guatemala and the United States. (Francisco Jiménez/X)

Guatemala’s most wanted fugitive, Aler Baldomero Samayoa Recinos, aka “La Chicharra,” was captured in the southern state of Chiapas on Tuesday.

Mexico’s Security Ministry processed Samayoa in Tuxtla Gutiérrez, the Chiapas state capital, then transported him to the Guatemalan border that same day where he was handed over to Interpol.

The three-month operation to capture “La Chicharra” — the alleged leader of the notorious Guatemalan crime gang Los Huistas — was a joint effort carried out by Mexican, Guatemalan and U.S. authorities.

“La Chicharra” had fled Guatemala late last year after escaping arrest during an earlier stage of the joint operation.

Guatemalan Interior Minister Francisco Jiménez applauded the apprehension of Samayoa Recinos in a social media post, referring to him as the country’s No. 1 fugitive. The suspect faces charges of “illicit association” in Guatemala.

In addition to being the most wanted man in Guatemala, “La Chicharra” was sought by U.S. authorities, appearing on a U.S. list of the 100 most wanted criminals.

A U.S. Treasury diagram showing photos of the leaders of Los Huistas and their connections to other criminals and businesses, both legitimate and illicit
Samayoa and his co-leader Eugenio Darío Molina López are both wanted in the U.S. for drug trafficking. (U.S. Treasury)

A U.S. federal indictment accusing the suspect of cocaine trafficking and money laundering was unsealed in 2022. The indictment links “La Chicharra” to major drug distribution networks, alleging he was in charge of shipping cocaine from the department of Huehuetenango in the western highlands of Guatemala across the Mexican border and into Chiapas.

In a social media post, the U.S. Embassy in Guatemala praised the operation that led to the capture of “La Chicharra.”

“Major progress in the fight against drug trafficking!” the embassy wrote, adding that the arrest will “ensure his swift extradition to the United States.” The message also lauded the joint operation for “strengthening the fight against organized crime.”

Also mentioned in the indictment is Eugenio Darío Molina López, another alleged leader of Los Huistas. The group’s name is derived from the municipality of Santa Ana Huista, a municipality in Huehuetenango.

The U.S. Treasury is offering US $10 million for information leading to the capture of Molina, who is wanted on drug trafficking charges in the southern district of California.

Los Huistas, characterized as a violent crime gang by Guatemala authorities, are said to traffic in cocaine, methamphetamines and heroin, while also controlling poppy fields in the departments of Huehuetenango and San Marcos.

The U.S. indictment alleges that Los Huistas maintained close ties to Mexico’s two biggest criminal organizations, the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).

“La Chicharra” was taken to Guatemala’s Federal Court Towers and is awaiting extradition procedures that could send him to the U.S. However, extradition could be delayed because Guatemalan law requires suspects to face justice at home before they can be extradited.

With reports from Infobae, Proceso, Telemundo and Línea Directa

6 COMMENTS

Have something to say? Paid Subscribers get all access to make & read comments.
Plaza La Isla

Should you be worried about the presence of brain-eating amoeba in Yucatán water bodies?

MND Staff - 0
The news of a water sports instructor's death prompted concern among residents of the Yucatán capital that the popular nearby cenotes may harbor the deadly amoeba, but experts say cenote water is too cold for the microorganism.
U.S. Soldiers, assigned to the U.S. Army Western Hemisphere Command, conduct the M320 grenade launcher lane as part of the 2026 U.S. Army Best Squad Competition at Fort Benning, Georgia, Sept. 14, 2026. The annual competition tests squads’ proficiency in warrior tasks and battle drills to identify the most cohesive, highly trained, disciplined and physically fit team ready to fight and win, while demonstrating a commitment to the Army Values and Warrior Ethos.

139 US troops cleared to enter Mexico for joint training in Chihuahua

MND Staff - 1
Among the simulated combat exercises U.S. and Mexican military personnel will conduct are the destruction of sniper positions; the seizure of an airfield; an air assault; the destruction of a fuel-supply point; and the capture and extraction of a target using live fire.
Colorado River

New US-Mexico water agreement means reduced allotments but a heathier Colorado River

MND Staff - 0
Mexico, still in water debt to the United States, will have its Colorado River share reduced, but so will three U.S. Lower Basin states: Nevada, Arizona and Colorado.
BETA Version - Powered by Perplexity

VIDEO OF THE WEEK