U.S. Embassy Seal
United States Embassy          Guatemala City, Guatemala

Recent Crime Incidents
Involving Foreigners


The information contained here is based on general reporting of crime incidents from a variety of sources and is not intended to be complete or a general analysis of crime in Guatemala. Non-violent crimes, those not involving a weapon, and/or those not involving a substantial loss of property, are not included here. Information on current patterns and trends in crime in Guatemala is included in the Consular Information Sheet (CIS), available at http://travel.state.gov/travel/guatemala.html.

July 2004

07/29/04 Zone 7, Col. Tikal, Guatemala: A tourist on the street was robbed of personal possessions at gunpoint.
07/28/04 Guatemala, Zone 6: At 10:30 a.m. a party of eleven people including children and two visiting relatives were attacked in a private house by heavily armed men. The victims were tied up. The assailants ransacked the house stealing personal items and electronic equipment and left in the visitors’ pickup bearing U.S. license plates. Alert neighbors contacted the National Police and assisted in the identity of several of the assailants and the recovery of the pickup truck.
07/28/04 CA-1, Km. 95 , Santa Lucía, Escuintla: At 4:00 p.m. four tourists driving on the highway were stopped by eight armed men in two vehicles. They were robbed of jewelry and money.
07/21/04 Lake Amatitlán, Guatemala: At 6:30 p.m. a tourist in the company of two friends enjoying the sunset on the shore of the lake was attacked by six armed, masked men and sexually assaulted. The assailants also robbed the group of money and valuables.
07/21/04 Antigua, Guatemala: About midnight during a home invasion, personal property was stolen at gunpoint.
07/20/04 Atitlán Lake Shore, Sololá: At 1:30 p.m. a tourist was robbed of his possessions by an unknown armed assailant.
07/18/04 Sanatorio El Pilar, Zone 15, Guatemala: A frequent foreign visitor was murdered while working in his yard in the late afternoon. He received three gunshot wounds from unknown assailants and died before reaching the hospital.
07/18/04 Zone 3, Quetzaltenango: At 5:00 p.m. a tourist was assaulted after he got off a bus in the terminal. His possessions were taken.
07/17/04 CA-1, near KM 170 in the Dept. of Sololá: Sixteen foreign tourists and their Guatemalan driver were attacked at 4:30 p.m. while driving from Quetzaltenango to Antigua. A white sedan pulled in front of the van and slowed it while a pickup truck with two men in the cab and four armed men in the back approached along side, shooting their guns into the air. After stopping the van, five men entered the vehicle. Cash, credit cards, electronic equipment, and money were stolen. The tourist group complied with the robbers’ demands, and no one was injured.
07/14/04 CA-2, Río Hondo, Zacapa: At 5:00 a.m. a bus with foreigners was assaulted by four armed men taking passengers’ possessions. Five of the foreigners were injured by gunshots.
07/14/04 CA-2, Km. 60 Sanarate, El Progreso: At 8:00 p.m. four tourists driving in two cars were assaulted by armed men who stole their cellular telephones, jewelry, money, firearms, and cameras.
07/14/04 CA-2, Km. 58 to Escuintla: At 8:00 p.m. five members of a family were assaulted by armed men in a black pick-up. The assailants forced the driver off the road and stole money and cameras.
07/12/04 CA-2, Cumbre La Torera, Municipio San José La Arada, Chiquimula: At approximately 7:00 p.m. a tourist was assaulted and injured by gunshots from assailants in a black pick-up. Money was stolen.
07/09/04 Zone 10, Guatemala City: At 7:00 a.m. two foreign diplomats walking on Avenida 13 on their way to work were approached and robbed by two armed assailants, taking a canvas briefcase, cash, credit cards and personal possessions.
07/08/04 CA-1, Km 161 Ruta San Pedro La Laguna, Sololá: At 2:00 p.m. two tourists were assaulted by men armed with machetes, stealing their backpacks, money and cameras.
07/08/04 Guatemala City, Zone 10: At 7:30 A.M. two armed men assaulted a tourist after he left the Hotel Biltmore, and stole his laptop and cash.
07/07/04 CA-2, Jutiapa, Km 151: Proyecto Ipala, Municipio Santa Caterina Mita: At approximately 4:00 p.m., eight armed men in a small pickup attacked a tourist bus with 15 passengers traveling from Honduras to Guatemala City. Money and jewelry were stolen, and several passengers were injured.

June 2004

06/04 CA-1 near KM 30.2 in San Lucas: Two tourists hailed a taxi at La Aurora Airport and requested the driver take them to Antigua. Two other vehicles intercepted the taxi near San Lucas and armed men stopped the cab and robbed the tourists of all possessions, including identification, airplane tickets, luggage, clothes, jewelry, cameras and cash.
06/04 CA-2, near KM 89 in Sta. Lucía Cotzumalguapa, Escuintla: Two foreign nationals were beaten by assailants who blocked the highway, robbing them of money and documents, and then driving their vehicle into a nearby river.
06/04 CA-1 near KM 175: A foreign national riding in an inter-city bus was attacked by four unknown assailants and died of gunshot wounds.
06/29/04 CA-1 near KM 169 west of Los Encuentros: At 9:30 a.m. a tour bus carrying nineteen foreigners and a Guatemalan driver was forced off the highway by eight assailants. The van was stopped, and three men entered the vehicle and drove it to a lonely side road. The passengers were robbed of their valuables and tied up with their shoelaces while the thieves escaped. None of the group resisted and no one was hurt.
06/21/04 Route between San Juan La Laguna and San Pablo La Laguna, near KM 171: At 2:30 p.m. two foreigners were riding bicycles when they were intercepted by an unknown individual wielding a machete and threatening that he would kill them. They were robbed of their cameras, jewelry, cash, and other personal possessions.
06/21/04 Zone 15, Vista Hermosa, Guatemala City: During this week at least three houses of expatriates were robbed by unknown armed individuals. In two of the houses, members of the families were at home at the time. The residents of the third house were away at the time of the break-in. In each case, personal possessions including money, jewelry and electronic equipment were stolen. No one was injured.
06/20/04 Puerto San José, Escuintla: At approximately 3:30 p.m. two tourists were attacked by armed assailants near town. When the tourists resisted the attack, one was shot and died of the wounds.
06/19/04 Sacatepéquez, The Volcano Aqua, Antigua: Two tourists were assaulted and robbed of their personal possessions by two armed unknown individuals while descending the volcano. The tourists witnessed the duo continue to rob Guatemalan nationals in the same area.
06/18/04 Ruta Atlántico, KM 33, the entrance of the Finca Las Hormiguitas, Palencia: Two tourists were among the passengers in a microbus attacked by six unknown assailants, stealing their money, jewelry, identification, and cameras.
06/17/04 CA-1, KM 119, Valle Nuevo del Jalpatagua, Jutiapa: A foreign national was wounded by gunshots when he and two other passengers in his vehicle were attacked and robbed.
06/09/04 CA-1, KM 182 Totonicapán: A foreign national was killed by three gun shot wounds when assailants commandeered a Pullman Bus and robbed all the passengers.

May 2004

05/20/04 Near Tikal National Park, Petén: A tour van with at least seven tourists was returning from a visit to Tikal National Park, when the van was stopped by two armed men. The tour guide, a foreign national, was wounded in the attack. The assailants took cash, cameras, and jewelry.
05/09/04 Near Monterrico, Santa Rosa: In the early afternoon, a tourist was walking with two friends in a wooded area near a waterfall when a man wearing a ski mask and carrying a rifle came out of the woods and forced the two friends to lie on the ground. A second masked man, armed with a pistol, a rifle, and a machete took the tourist back into the woods, ordered the victim to undress and sexually assaulted the victim. The assailants also stole a camera and cash.
05/05/04 Guatemala City, Zone 10: A foreign resident was robbed when a motorcyclist with a gun approached the resident. The only item taken was a cell phone.

April 2004

04/21/04 Guatemala City, Zone 13: At approximately 12:15, a foreign resident couple was stopped at a stoplight in their Toyota van when three men approached. Two of the men began pounding on the driver’s side window, while the third—armed with a shotgun—was at the passenger’s window. As the assailants pushed into the driver’s side, the foreign resident lost control of the van’s clutch, the vehicle lurched, and the assailant on the passenger’s side fell and then ran off. The foreign residents left the vehicle via the passenger’s side and the two remaining assailants drove off in it.
04/19/04 CA-2, near Retalhuleu, Retalhuleu: At approximately 5:30 p.m., a private vehicle en route to Guatemala City with a tourist and three others was stopped near a curve by three masked men. The assailants, armed with two handguns and a shotgun, stole a camera, a palm computer, a driver’s license, cash, traveler’s checks, and shoes.
04/14/04 CA-2, Km 49, near Siquinalá, Suchitepéquez: At approximately 9:00 p.m., three vehicles attempted to box-in a tourist’s vehicle, with one pick-up truck on the left, a sedan in front, and an unidentified vehicle behind, to force it to stop. Shooting began as the tourist attempted to avoid the assault by ramming the vehicles on either side. The escape was successful, although at least 14 bullets hit the tourist’s vehicle, resulting in injuries to three people.
04/13/04 CA-2, near Las Chinamas: Shortly after entering Guatemala from El Salvador, at approximately 7:30 a.m., a tourist was forced to stop when two men armed with pistols came onto the road. The assailants took cash and a passport.
04/11/04 Antigua, Sacatepéquez: While walking near 5th Avenue towards the center of town at approximately 3:00 p.m., a tourist sustained injuries from shrapnel when an unidentified individual rolled a hand grenade down the street.
04/06/04 Panajachel, Sololá: Two assailants, armed with a gun and knife, robbed a major grocery store at approximately 4:45 p.m. A third assailant was thought to be waiting outside in a pick-up truck.
04/03/04 Guatemala City, Zone 15: While foreign residents were away, thieves got over the wall around their house, opened the garage door, parked their vehicle in the garage, and ransacked the house. Computer equipment, televisions, stereo equipment, cameras, passports, cash, jewelry, major appliances, furniture, clothing, and other personal items were taken.

March 2004

03/30/04 Road to Tikal National Park (Highway 3), Petén: At approximately 8:15 a.m., four masked men standing in the road blocked the passage of a van carrying 18 tourists. The assailants were armed with machetes, knives, and one gun. The van was driven about 100 yards off the road, where the assailants took money, rings and watches, and several hotel room keys.
03/29/04 Highway to Chimaltenango, Km 41 (1 Km off CA-1): A foreign resident was traveling in a vehicle with five other individuals, including a private security guard, when another vehicle containing 2 masked, armed men tried to force them off the road.
03/07/04 Santa Catarina Barahona, Sacatepequez: At approximately 11:45 a.m., two armed men assaulted three tourists walking near the town. The assailants took cash and a camera and sexually assaulted one of the tourists.

February 2004

02/21/04 CA-9 (Ruta Atlántico), Km 75, between El Progeso and Guatemala City: At approximately 11:30 a.m., a tour van carrying 11 tourists was forced off the road by two pick-up trucks, each containing 4-5 armed men. Four of the assailants got into the van and drove it off the road to what appeared to be a pre-designated site. The assailants took cash, traveler’s checks, jewelry, and cameras.
02/09/04 Guatemala City, Zone 7: A foreign resident was backing a new car out of the garage at approximately 7:00 a.m., when two men armed with handguns forced their way into the car and forced the resident to drive off. The victim was found on a nearby street approximately fifteen minutes later, having been shot and left there by the assailants.

January 2004

01/27/04 Guatemala City, Zone 14: At approximately 1:00 p.m., a foreign resident was grabbed and robbed at knifepoint while walking along a major street.
01/17/04 Guatemala City, Zone 7: A foreign resident was visiting the home of relatives when two armed, masked men forced their way into the house, tied everyone up and searched the home for valuables. The robbers gagged and hooded the resident and then forced the resident to walk around with them. Upon returning to the house, the resident was sexually assaulted by both men. The assailants stole the resident's car; items taken from the house included a laptop computer and cameras.
01/16/04 San Cristóbal, Alta Verapaz: The rented home of a foreign resident was entered by unknown robbers. A laptop, camera, and other small items of value were stolen.
01/12/04 Santiago Atítlan, Sololá: Three tourists, while hiking with an armed guard, were accosted and pursued by 4-7 masked men carrying machetes and at least one gun. The armed guard fired at the robbers and then fled into the woods. The tourists were struck by machetes and were robbed of all their possessions, including prescription glasses and shoes.
01/11/04 Antigua, Sacatepequez: Around 10:30 p.m., armed robbers entered a youth hostel where about 20 tourists were staying, including a high school group. While holding all those inside at gunpoint, the thieves stole cameras, CD players, cash, travelers checks, and one passport.
01/09/04 Chicacao, Suchitepequez: While apparently investigating unusual nighttime noises outside the residence, a foreign resident was shot and killed by an unknown assailant(s).
01/08/04 Road to Las Trampas, Km 117, Sololá: In early afternoon, an unmarked minivan carrying at least two tourists rounded a curve and was ambushed by five masked men standing in the middle of the road. The assailants had at least four high caliber guns and one machete. The passengers were robbed of all their personal belongings and allowed to drive away.
01/07/04 CA-2, Km 202.5, near Coatepeque, Retalhuleu: Around 4:00 p.m., a chartered van carrying a group of 12 tourists was struck and forced off the road by a black, Toyota pick-up truck with at least five men. The men were unmasked, and armed with one automatic weapon and several handguns. The assailants shot into the van to gain entry. One tourist was struck by a bullet and later died as a result of the wound. The other passengers were taken out of the van, robbed of money, jewelry and credit cards, and left tied up.

December 2003

12/31/03 Rio Dulce, Izabal: At approximately 7:00 p.m., a visitor was assaulted by men with automatic weapons and left tied up while the assailants stole the visitor's launch and motor.
12/30/03 Guatemala City, Zone 15: While out for a daily walk at approximately 7:30 a.m., 2 or 3 men forced a foreign resident into a car. They drove the victim around for several hours, asking a number of questions about personal information and family members to contact; however, no ransom demand was ever made. The resident was ultimately taken to a different part of the city and released after being physically and sexually assaulted.
12/21/03 Patzún, Chimaltenango: A foreign resident was shot and killed during an apparent attempted robbery.
12/19/03 Near Sipacate, Escuintla: Two foreign tourists camping on a remote beach were assaulted at night by several men wielding machetes. One of the tourists was raped and a small amount of cash was stolen.
12/11/03 Guatemala City, Zone 9: A tourist, while attending a party with friends of the family, was apparently taken to a hotel, sexually assaulted and left there.
12/10/03 Archeological Park, near Sayaxché, Petén: While walking in the park, a group of tourists were assaulted by armed gunmen, who stole a camera, money, and other objects of value.

November 2003

11/18/03 San Antonio Suchitepéquez, Suchitepéquez: A car driven by a foreigner who was a resident of Belize was overtaken by three vehicles containing armed men. The foreigner was shot three times and later died. A passenger, also a foreigner who lived in Guatemala, escaped without injury.

October 2003

10/26/03 Guatemala City, Vista Hermosa II, Zone 15: A condo-type house belonging to the parents of a foreigner was robbed of cash, jewelry and a foreign passport.
10/26/03 Guatemala City, El Prado, Zona 10 & Vista Hermosa I, Zone 15: Around noon, 6 armed men used a ruse to gain entry into the Zone 10 house owned by the mother of a foreign family living in Guatemala. When the foreign family arrived for a visit, they too became victims. The robbers then drove several members of the foreign family to the family's house in Zone 15, which they proceeded to rob. The robbers then dropped the family members off at the Zone 10 house, and stole the family's Jeep Cherokee.
10/25/03 CA-2, between Guatemala City and El Salvador border: A foreign tourist was on board a Pullman-type bus en route from Guatemala City to El Salvador when the bus was stopped by 7 armed assailants brandishing assault rifles and pistols. The bus was forced onto a small side road and the passengers were robbed of their valuables. No one was injured in the incident.

September 2003

09/16/03 Guatemala City, Mixco, Zone 3: At approximately 10 a.m., a foreigner who resided in Guatemala was shot to death by several unknown assailants while stepping out of a pick-up truck. A person in the passenger seat of the vehicle was left unharmed. Neither the truck nor the cash the foreigner was carrying were stolen.

August 2003

08/22/03 Guatemala City, Colonia el Quintanal, Zone 6: A foreigner who resided in Guatemala was attacked and killed on 13 Avenida Final.
08/02/03 Malacatán, San Marcos: A foreign long-term visitor was in a restaurant having lunch with two acquaintances. Armed assailants entered the restaurant and started shooting at the two acquaintances. The visitor was caught in the crossfire and killed.

July 2003

07/19/03 Guatemala Highway 4 (between San Marcos la Laguna and San Pablo la Laguna) Sololá, Sololá: At approximately 11:00 a.m., three young men with machetes accosted two tourists walking along the paved road. The assailants stole money and jewelry.
07/19/03 CA-1, near Sololá, Sololá: A van carrying nine tourists was forced to the side of the road by two vehicles, one a black pick-up truck. Several armed men got out of the truck and entered the van. The driver was struck with a pistol by one of the assailants. The tourists were forced to close their eyes as another assailant drove the van onto a small dirt road. All of the tourists were robbed of cash and valuables. One of the assailants ripped the clothes of and sexually assaulted at least two of the tourists.
07/18/03 CA-2, near Valle Nuevo, Jutiapa (15 km from El Salvador border): A luxury tour bus (TICA), en route from Tapachula, Mexico to San Jose, Costa Rica was stopped by armed assailants. The bus driver was struck over the head with a gun by one of the assailants. The assailants stole cash, jewelry, and other valuables.
07/04/03 Guatemala City, Central Market, Zone 1: Two foreign residents were walking near the Central Market when they were accosted by two unarmed assailants. After a brief struggle, the assailants fled without taking anything. Within moments, the residents were approached by two other men. One of the men hit one of the residents in the back and stole a bag containing money, keys, and identification documents.
07/02/03 CA-1, near the Mexican border: At approximately 8:30 a.m., a tourist encountered two small trucks parked across the road, blocking the highway. The tourist's vehicle was forced to stop by men armed with guns and machetes. A machete was put across the driver's throat and the assailants demanded the passengers' valuables at gunpoint. The assailants also stopped the car just behind the tourist's car.

June 2003

06/21/03 Guatemala Highway 1, between Patzicía and Patzún: At approximately 8:30 p.m., a tourist was a passenger on a "chicken bus" when five fellow passengers donned ski masks and began an assault on the other passengers. The driver was forced to turn off the road and the bus occupants were forced into a field, where they were robbed and threatened. The tourist was kicked in the face several times. At least five passengers were raped and at least one sexually assaulted.
06/20/03 CA-1, near Mixco (Guatemala City): A foreign resident and the four-year-old child of the resident were stopped in their pick-up truck at a traffic light when two armed men approached. The assailants entered the truck and one drove the resident and child around while the other stole money, a passport, and other identification documents. The assailants eventually stopped and got out of the vehicle.

May 2003

05/30/03 CA-2, near the El Salvador border: A luxury passenger bus (Pullmantur) left Guatemala City at approximately 9:00 a.m. en route to El Salvador. The bus was stopped by four armed assailants shortly before reaching the El Salvador border. All passengers were robbed of cash, jewelry, and other valuables.

April 2003

04/14/03 Guatemala City, Zone 9: Two foreign residents were walking on the street and were robbed by two men, one of whom was armed with a handgun.
04/09/03 Guatemala City, Zone 10: A white Toyota 4X4 carrying four visiting businessmen was being driven along Avenida Reforma at approximately 10:00 a.m. Immediately after passing the U.S. Embassy, just before the Ministry of Education, at least 3 armed gunmen stopped the vehicle and attempted to steal it. The visitors apparently did not respond quickly enough and one of the gunmen shot into the vehicle, wounding one of the passengers when a bullet grazed his head. The driver thwarted the attempted theft by speeding off as the shooting started.
04/08/03 Guatemala City, Zone 10: A foreign resident was accosted near the U.S. Embassy by an armed assailant. The assailant fled after the resident screamed and ran into a nearby office.

March 2003

03/28/03 Km 118, CA-1, near Sololá, Sololá: At approximately 3:30 p.m at least five men, armed with automatic weapons and pistols, traveling in a white Toyota pickup attempted to stop a van carrying nine tourists. When the van did not immediately stop, the assailants fired at the van, killing the driver instantly. The victims were tied up and told not to try to get loose for more than an hour or they would also be shot. The assailants fled after taking cash and a laptop computer.
03/25/03 Guatemala City, Zone 10: Two foreign visitors were walking to a hotel when two men approached them, brandished their weapons, and demanded the bags the visitors were carrying. Cash, credit cards, and a passport were taken.
03/24/03 CA-10 near Chiquimula, Chiquimula: A tourist van carrying eight foreign tourists was forced off the road by two pickup trucks carrying four men each. The assailants were armed with automatic weapons and grenades. Four of the assailants entered the van and drove it onto a side road. The victims were forced to lower their pants and lift their shirts to make sure no valuables were concealed. The assailants thoroughly searched all luggage and robbed the tourists of all valuables, including cash and jewelry.
03/21/03 Guatemala City, Zone 15: Armed assailants stopped a car, forced the foreign resident driver out of the car, and drove off with the passenger still in the vehicle. The passenger was ultimately released unharmed.
03/21/03 Guatemala City, Zone 15: A foreign resident was carjacked at gunpoint in front of a friend's residence. The resident escaped from the car, but the assailants drove off with a passenger still in the car. The passenger was released unharmed two hours later.
03/17/03 Guatemala City, Zone 10: A foreign resident was carjacked at approximately 6:00 p.m., as the resident was leaving an ATM machine. The resident was driven almost to the border with El Salvador, and was bound to a tree with wire and left there.
03/13/03 CA-13, km 65 near La Máquina, Petén: Three armed, masked men stopped a tour bus and robbed the passengers, taking cash, jewelry, and other valuables.
03/12/03 Guatemala City, Zone 15: At approximately 10:45 a.m., a motorcyclist approached the outer door of a foreign resident's home, asking for the resident by name. When the resident looked through the peephole, the assailant displayed a small handgun. The man fled when the resident started yelling.
03/06/03 Guatemala City, Zone 10: A tourist's stolen credit card, taken from a hotel room or a bag at the airport, was used within less than 24 hours for multiple charges.
03/03/03 CA-2, near Valle Nuevo, Jutiapa: Armed men stopped a luxury public tour bus. The assailants entered the bus and went up and down the aisle demanding all money and valuables.

February 2003

02/17/03 Near Santa Cruz (Lake Atitlán), Sololá: Two tourists were assaulted by two young men, one armed with a machete, while hiking a trail toward San Marcos. The men took their bags, forced the tourists up the mountain to a secluded area, and then raped one of the tourists.
02/11/03 CA-9, en route to Villa Nueva near Fuentes Villa Lobo, Guatemala: A pickup truck cut in front of the van being driven by a foreign resident, forcing it to stop. A man in the pickup pointed a gun at the resident and forced the resident into the back of the pickup. After taking the resident's money and demanding the security code for the van, the assailants drove the van back towards Guatemala City, with the pickup carrying the resident following. After dropping the resident at approximately kilometer 23, the van and pickup again turned around and drove off.
02/07/03 San Pedro El Alto, Antigua, Sacatepequez: A foreign resident was stopped by three armed men as the resident was leaving the house. The assailants took a vehicle, cell phone, passport, credit cards, and cash.
02/04/03 Guatemala City, Zone 8: At approximately 5:00 p.m., two visiting representatives of a U.S.-based charity group were waiting in a rented van that was parked outside a building for about 10 minutes while one member of the group went inside. When the person returned to the vehicle, two men armed with guns approached the van and demanded money. The assailants took money and a camera.

January 2003

01/25/03 Jutiapa, Jutiapa: A foreign resident returning home from a bike ride was shot while approaching the house. The assailants fled without further activity.
01/24/03 CA-2, near Valle Nuevo, Jutiapa: Heavily armed men stopped a luxury public tour bus carrying more than 25 tourists. The assailants entered the bus and went up and down the aisle demanding all money and valuables.
01/24/03 Guatemala City, Zone 10: At approximately mid-day, a foreign resident was stopped by two armed assailants who were on a motorcycle. Money, a cell phone, and jewelry were taken.
01/16/03 Scenic outlook at Lake Atitlán, Guatemala: A foreign tourist who had stopped at a scenic outlook was shot and killed during a robbery.
01/11/03 Near San Pedro Carchá, Alta Verapaz: While walking in a park at approximately 10:00 a.m., two foreign residents were assaulted and taken into a remote wooded area by a lone gunman. The residents were bound and one was raped.

December 2002

12/27/02 CA-1, near Sololá, Sololá: At approximately 1:45 p.m., a pick-up truck with six men armed with automatic weapons forced a tour van carrying 14 tourists to stop. The driver was assaulted and the van taken onto a nearby dirt road. The tourists were searched individually and gold jewelry, cash, credit cards, and travelers checks were taken. The women were forced to remove their underwear, but were not sexually assaulted. The assailants slapped two of the tourists when they were too slow at handing over their valuables. The tourists were tied up and left with a warning not to move for twenty minutes or they would be killed.
12/22/02 Guatemala City, Zone 15: A foreign resident's home was broken into while the family was on vacation. Computers and televisions were among the items taken.
12/15/02 Guatemala City, Zone 15: A tourist was visiting the home of relatives when four armed men broke in, severely beat the tourist and the home owner, and stole electronic equipment and other valuables from the house.
12/01/02 Guatemala City, Zone 14: Guards for a gated residential community allowed a vehicle with no license plates to enter the area. Three armed men got out of the vehicle, rang the doorbell at the home of a foreign resident, and gained admittance when the resident answered the door. The resident and the resident's children were tied up while the thieves took a safe and other personal belongings.

November 2002

11/29/02 Quetzaltenango, Quetzaltenango: At approximately 3:30 a.m., a tourist went with a friend to visit an acquaintance. An hour later, the friend and his acquaintance went outside. The acquaintance returned alone and, after threatening to kill and choking the tourist, raped the victim.
11/25/02 Km 136, Pan-American Highway (CA-1), near Argueta, Sololá: Two tourists were shot, one fatally, when the car they were driving was cut off by a black pickup truck. Six armed assailants opened fire on the car with no warning.
11/18/02 Km 91 on Guatemala Highway 1, between Patzún, Chimaltenango, and Godínez, Sololá: At approximately 9:30 a.m., three assailants armed with AK-47 assault rifles shot at a tour van carrying five tourists, forcing the van to stop. One of the tourists was shot and fatally wounded. Cameras, cash, and travel documents were stolen.
11/17/02 Mixco, Guatemala: A foreign resident stopped at a pharmacy to make a purchase. While the resident was inside the pharmacy, an assailant struck the driver who was waiting in the vehicle on the head and stole the car. The resident's passport and other belongings left in the car were also taken.
11/12/02 Guatemala City, Zone 10: A foreign resident was walking on Diagonal 6 when an assailant came from behind, put a knife to the resident's back, and stole the bag the resident was carrying. The police later recovered the bag, but all the cash, credit cards, and identification documents had been taken.
11/03/02 Secondary Road near Tecpán, Chimaltenango: At approximately 6:30 p.m., a car carrying a foreign resident and a local family came upon an assault in progress in which passengers in a pickup truck were bound and robbed. The assailants forced the resident's car to stop and then hit the driver of the car. The resident was forced into the woods and raped. The resident and local family managed to escape and drive away as the assailants focused on stopping an inter-city bus ("chicken bus") and robbing the passengers.
11/03/02 Near Lake Amatitlán, Guatemala: At approximately 2:00 am, three armed assailants cut the telephone lines and the barbed wire at the top of a back wall, climbed over the wall, and entered the home of foreign residents. After threatening the residents with physical violence, pistol-whipping them, and tying and gagging them, the house was ransacked. Jewelry, electronic equipment, and cash were taken.

October 2002

10/31/02 Centro Historico (Historical Center), Guatemala City, Zone 1: A tourist was assaulted by two men armed with pistols. Credit cards, a passport, and two cameras were taken.
10/17/02 Guatemala City, Zone 10: At approximately 7:30 p.m., a foreign resident left a passenger in the car, the car door open and the motor running, while the resident went to open the garage door. An SUV stopped in front of the car and two armed men wearing ski masks jumped in the car and drove off. The passenger was released unharmed about eight blocks away. The car was recovered the following day, but cell phones and cash had been taken.
10/05/02 La Aurora Airport, Guatemala City: A tourist in a wheelchair, whose bags had already gone through the x-ray machine, was being screened by security personnel. A man stole the bag, containing passports, money, and other valuables from the secured-area side of the x-ray station.

September 2002

09/23/02 Guatemala City, Zone 1: Security guards at a Payless Shoe store required a foreign resident to leave a bag containing a laptop computer and business papers in a security bin near the front of the store. The bag was missing when the resident went to reclaim it. The security guards stated that two men got out of a car in front of the store, came inside, grabbed the bag, and then fled.
09/22/02 Santa Catarina Pinula, Carretera El Salvador, Guatemala: A foreign resident was robbed at gunpoint by a lone assailant. Cash, passports, and other identification documents were taken. The documents were recovered when police arrested the assailant in the process of committing another assault.
09/06/02 Guatemalan Highway CA-13, kilometer 55, Petén: Four armed gunmen stopped a tourist van and took money and jewelry.
09/01/02 Near Guatemala/Belize Border, just off Guatemalan Highway CA-13 (Although this incident occurred in Belize, it is included here because a large number of tourists travel this land route to visit the Guatemalan ruins at Tikal while vacationing in Belize.): A group of Spanish-speaking gunmen stopped a group of tourists on the road near the site of Mayan ruins at El Pilar, Belize. All of the tourists were bound and robbed; several were raped.


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