47,568 cannabis plants destroyed in Ixmucané, Petén
Guatemala's anti-narcotics police eradicated 47,568 marijuana plants in two hidden fields near Ixmucané, Las Cruces, Petén. The plants were valued at about Q23.8 million and were pulled up and burned, with no arrests reported.
Guatemala’s National Civil Police, through its anti-narcotics unit SGAIA,
located and eradicated cannabis plantations in the mountainous areas of the
hamlet of Ixmucané, in the municipality of Las Cruces in the department of
Petén.[1]The National Civil Police said it acted in coordination with the
Public Ministry after locating more than 47,000 marijuana plants during security
patrols.[1]No captures were reported in the operation.[1]
The plants were growing in two fields concealed inside the wooded area to avoid
detection.[1]Police put the official valuation at 23,784,000 quetzales, about
three million dollars on the illegal market.[1]Authorities said the plants
were removed from the fields and subsequently incinerated on site.[1]
SGAIA said the actions reaffirm its commitment to fighting drug trafficking by
reducing cultivation and trade of illicit drugs.[2]Interior Ministry figures
cited in the coverage note that joint operations with the army in early 2026
have focused heavily on mountainous and border areas.[1]
Photos and video
SGAIA photos of the cannabis eradication operation at Ixmucané, Las Cruces, PeténPhoto details
Video of marijuana plants being burned in Guatemala, described as the two fields found in a wooded area Source: Infobae
Case data
Every number and detail the sources state, with the sources that state it.
Plants destroyed
47,568
Value (official estimate)
GTQ 23,784,000
Agency type
Military, Anti-narcotics agency, Police
Cannabis
Herbal cannabis; Living plants (47,568 plants)
Activity
Trafficking, Cultivation
Setting
Field
Grown
Outdoor
Sources
Infobaeinfobae.comESGuatemala: Destruyen matas de marihuana valorada en Q23 millones
SGAIAsgaia.gob.gtESERRADICACIÓN DE 47,568 MATAS DE MARIHUANA EN LAS CRUCES, PETÉN
Open questions the AI reported
The articles give no separate operation date; 5 July 2026, the SGAIA publication date, is used as the incident date, while Infobae published on 6 July UTC, the evening of 5 July in Guatemala.
No figure for the area in hectares occupied by the two fields was published.
No suspects were named and no charges or court outcome were reported.
The same articles mention separate earlier eradications at Ixmucané in September 2025 and 2018, left out here as different events.
Coordinates are for Las Cruces municipality centre; the mountain plots around Ixmucané are not pinpointed.
Left out, as its quotation was not found in SGAIA: After securing the site, officers counted 47,568 marijuana plants, all in the growing phase.
Guatemala's anti-narcotics police eradicated and burned 8,820 mature cannabis plants near Ixcoch and Ixmucané in Las Cruces, Petén, on 25 October 2026. The agency valued the plants at Q4,410,000.
Guatemala's anti-narcotics police eradicated and burned 6,915 marijuana plants ready for harvest in the mountains of Momostenango, Totonicapán, on 23 October 2026. The National Civil Police valued the crop at 3,457,500 quetzales. No arrests were reported. The ministry named the site aldea Pamaría; other accounts of the same count call it Paraje Racaná.
Anti-narcotics police destroyed 19,420 cannabis plants near Momostenango, Totonicapán, and 15,143 in Ixmucané, Las Cruces, Petén, the Interior Ministry reported after weekend operations. Prosecutors supported the searches and eradication work. The operations applied the existing cultivation prohibition, which carries five to twenty years in prison plus a fine for unauthorised growing.
Guatemala's National Civil Police and Defense Ministry eradicated 7,920 cannabis plants on a 660-square-metre plot at Cooperativa Ixmucané, Las Cruces, on 3 October 2026. The police valued the crop at Q3,960,000.
