Zetas in Guatemala

McClathey's Tim Johnson has a few stories out on the presence of the Zetas in the Peten jungle region of Guatemala near Tikal National Park and Laguna del Tigre.

Peten is one of the country's major tourist destinations while Laguna del Tigre is more well known for Perenco's controversial oil concessions.

Johnson relates the story of a confrontation between the Zetas and Guatemalan police and military that ended badly for the Guatemalans.

Around midday on Oct. 5, when police stopped a convoy of 16 or so big double-cabin pickups and other vehicles a short drive south of the Tikal National Park, an amplified voice from one vehicle barked a warning: "We are Los Zetas! Let us pass. We don't want problems."

To make their point, several men carrying assault rifles got out and fired hundreds of rounds into the air.

The police let the convoy pass, then called for help from the army, according to the accounts of several officers, nearly all of whom declined to give their names for fear of retaliation.

However, the military were no more successful.

In a fierce clash that began south of the famous Tikal ruins, the drug gang known as Los Zetas, based in Mexico's northeastern border area and the Yucatán Peninsula, was able to outgun local police by deploying armored vehicles, bigger guns and far more ammunition. Then it fought a large army patrol to a draw, losing vehicles and taking wounded but apparently getting away with cocaine.

Peten is relatively sparsely populated and there are few police and military stationed in meanginful numbers in in the region.