Guatemala arrests former anti-corruption prosecutor

CITY OF GUATEMALA — Guatemalan police on Friday arrested the country’s prosecutor for crimes against migrants, accusing him of abuse of authority.

Stuardo Campos was previously an anti-corruption prosecutor in the country during the administration of former President Jimmy Morales. It was not immediately clear whether the charges relate to his current or former position.

The lawsuit against Campos was filed by the far-right Foundation Against Terrorism, a group that began by defending military officers accused of war crimes, but also targeted members of the justice system who worked on cases of corruption.

“This complaint is spurious,” Campos said. “I know that my work as an anti-corruption prosecutor has earned me animosity in many sectors.”

Campos was known for an investigation related to a government highway project during the Morales administration. A number of officials in this administration were arrested when repeated landslides and other problems were blamed on poor construction.

In recent years, a number of prosecutors and judges who have handled anti-corruption cases have been investigated and indicted. Many of them fled the country to avoid prosecution by the United States government’s attorney general’s office and others accused of taking revenge on members of the justice system.

More recently, as a senior prosecutor for crimes against migrants, Campos has been credited with dismantling migrant smuggling rings and overseeing the first extradition of Guatemalans to the United States accused of migrant smuggling.