Guatemalan gangs profiting from grenade attacks

Tim Rogers has an interesting story on How a Guatemalan gang profits from deadly grenade attacks for Fusion. The starting point for the article is the recent M-18 attack on San Juan de Dios Hospital in which three bystanders were killed and another twenty-five injured.

Whether the M-18 mareros were trying to free or kill the incarcerated gang boss is unknown, but they failed to accomplish either task. More likely the grenade attack was part of the gang’s business-development plan.

“They want to sow terror and show that they are willing to attack authorities,” Guatemalan Security Minister Mauricio López Bonilla told Fusion. “Their message is: ‘I’m not a common thug, so when I talk, when I demand extortion or threaten you, you better take me very seriously’.”

For a gang whose livelihood depends on extorting small businesses and bus companies, launching crazy attacks with no regard for human life is — in a perverse and horrible way— about creating a favorable work environment.

“On many occasions, this is their business plan,” the minister said.

It's interesting but I'm not ready to buy what they are selling. The M-18 might be looking to sow chaos so as to profit from it, but I'm not sure the hospital attack is the best example, at least not yet.

Using grenades because they are more difficult to track than traditional arms makes some sense. The M-18 is directly responding to improvements in the Guatemala's police ability to investigate and prosecute gang-related murders. However, after hearing Mauricio Lopez Bonilla argue that "In fact, I think one of their leaders barely has the minimum I.Q. required to even be a criminal", it seems unusual to highlight their calculated tactical response.

Where are the grenades coming from?

Guatemalan authorities say they are investigating where the grenades are coming from. In a region rattled by revolutionary and counterrevolutionary wars in the 1970s, ’80s and ’90s, there are still plenty of old weapons floating around Central America.

“There is a high level of availability of these types of weapons in the region,” said López Bonilla. And with the gang’s expanding extortion business, the M-18 has “improved their purchasing capabilities” in recent years, he added.

But that doesn’t explain the whole story. While some of the grenades are leftovers from the guerrilla movements of the past, López Bonilla says some of weapons they’ve confiscated are newer models — perhaps trafficked from other countries where the M-18 has strong affiliate ties.

Guzman, however, says the grenades are most likely coming from somewhere within Guatemala.

“They buy them here. Where they come from we’re still investigating,” he said.

One would expect the retired Lt. Army Colonel and Kaibil to draw attention to the possibility that the grenades came from the guerrillas, the black market, and/or other countries, he does settle on the likelihood that they are coming from Guatemala. I would have liked Tim to have asked if it were possible that these grenades had come from the stash stolen from the Guatemalan army in 2013. Estimates range from 1,500 - 6,500 stolen. It is believed that those grenades ended up in the hands of local drug traffickers and the Zetas. It is possible, however, that they also found their way into the hands of the M-18. However, I can understand why Lopez Bonilla would not want to speculate that the weapons came from the Guatemalan military.  

Never what one wants to hear, but definitely not with national elections six months away.