From a statement issued by the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG):

CUSTOMS FRAUD NETWORK DISMANTLED
Chief and former head of the SAT Captured

Guatemala, April 16, 2015. In a joint coordination between the Special Prosecutor Against Impunity (SFIC) of the Public Ministry and the CICIG Alvaro Omar Franco Chacon, head of the Tax Administration (SAT) and Carlos Enrique Muñoz Roldán, former head of that institution, and 19 others, including senior officers, employees and individuals have been captured.

At a press conference the Commissioner Iván Velásquez Gómez explained the operations of the structure which included the involvement of Juan Carlos Monzón Rojas, private secretary to the Vice Presidency of the Republic, who is wanted for arrest, being outside the country.

Also taking part in the conference were : Oscar Schaad, head of the SFIC; Mauricio López Bonilla, Minister of the Interior; Luis Arturo Archila, Acting Attorney General, and Carlos Ruiz, Secretary General of the MP.

Arrest warrants were issued by the Eighth Court of First Instance Crimes on charges of conspiracy and customs fraud against the following persons, captured in different parts of the country.

Senior and middle managers at the SAT

Omar Franco Alvaro Chacón, head of the SAT
Carlos Enrique Muñoz Roldán, former head of the SAT
Sebastian Herrera Carrera (Head of Human Resources SAT)
Anthony Segura Franco, Secretary General of the Union of the SAT.
Carla Mireya Herrera España, Central Customs Administrator.
Gustavo Adolfo Morales Pinzón, Division Chief, Southern Region.
Melvin Gudiel Alvarado, administrator.
Julio Rogelio Robles Palma, Puerto Quetzal Manager.

Middle external structure

Osama Ezzat Azziz Aranki
Byron Antonio Izquierdo
Francisco Javier Ortiz Arriaga
Miguel Angel Lemus Aldana
Julio Cesar Aldana Sosa
July Stuardo Gonzalez De Leon
Herbeth Francisco Cabrera Castellanos
Monica Patricia Jauregui
Geovani Marroquín Navas (link between the two structures)

Senior external structure

Juan Carlos Monzón Rojas, private secretary to the Vice President, wanted for arrest.
Salvador Estuardo González.

CUSTOMS

Carlos Ixtuc Cuc
Sebastian Adolfo Batz
Jose Rolando Gil Monterroso

More on this topic

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The Guatemalan president will stand trial on charges of conspiracy, bribery and special case of customs fraud.

Judge Miguel Angel Galvez issued an indictment against former President Otto Perez Molina, after analyzing the evidence presented by the prosecution and the International Commission against Impunity (CICIG).

Impeachment requested for Perez Molina

August 2015

The Public Ministry of Guatemala believes it is "likely" that President Otto Perez Molina was involved in the customs fraud network known as "La Línea" and has called for his impeachment in the Supreme Court.

The International Commission Against Impunity (CICIG) and the Public Prosecutor filed a request to lift the immunity of President Otto Perez Molina and to carry out a formal investigation based on the evidence which has been gathered.

Guatemala: CICIG to Remain Active

April 2015

President Perez Molina has announced he will be making a request to extend until 2017 the mandate of the International Commission Against Impunity in the country.

From a statement issued by the Government of Guatemala:

President Otto Perez Molina has announced the decision of his government to ask the United Nations for a new mandate of the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG) so that it will continue in office until 2017.

More CICIG ... and Not Only for Guatemala

April 2015

The dismantling of the network of corruption at the highest level of the taxation system shows the validity and the necessity that Central America has for having bodies such as the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala.

EDITORIAL

Guatemalan business leaders have been talking about the matter, after the release of the CICIG updates which shed light on a group of criminals who, from the highest level of customs administration, engineered smuggling and tax fraud in the country. See: "Customs Fraud Network in Guatemala".