Alta Verapaz Update

President Colom has voiced his satisfaction with the state of siege "Carlos V" in the Department of Alta Verapaz.  Authorities have arrested fourteen to eighteen individuals (put it as less than two dozen), decommissioned properties, several small planes, and nine cars and a truck, retaken an airstrip, and recovered over 220 weapons including AK-47s and M-16s since Saturday.  They also recovered police uniforms and badges and some cash (~$65,000). 

The numbers are all over the place so we'll really have to wait until they are confirmed.  Authorities have said that five planes have been recovered, but it's unclear whether they were all involved in drug trafficking.  Some appear to have registered owners while others do not and some have permission to be in the country while others do not.  In addition, on the same day that Prensa Libre was reporting nine cars and a truck were recovered, this Fox Latino story was reporting twenty-eight.   

While there have been few arrests so far (at least in my opinion), Colom and the authorities are confident that any remaining Zetas will not escape because the police have established roadblocks leaving the targeted areas.  They also reassigned 335 police officers with "uncertain loyalties" from Verapaz to the capital.

It's really too early to tell how successful the operation has been.  Granted it's better than nothing, but I'm just not sure how much better.