Guatemala City, Sep 8 (EFE).- Guatemala's army is being deployed to strengthen security outside the country's 22 prisons starting on Monday to prevent escapes and the smuggling of banned items into the facilities, the government said Monday.
The size of the military presence will depend on the needs of the prison system, according to a resolution published in the official gazette.
One of the first prisons to have soldiers stationed outside it is Pavoncito, where last week authorities dismantled a criminal network headed by former army Capt. Byron Lima, who has been behind bars since 2001 for his part in the 1998 murder of Bishop Juan Gerardi.
The dismantling of the organization led to the capture of 13 people, including the director of the prison service, Edgar Camargo.
The network headed by Lima collected up to $100,000 for the transfer of inmates among prisons, according to Guatemala's U.N.-sponsored International Commission against Impunity.
Security was also reinforced at the Fraijanes I and II prisons, located about 30 kilometers (19 miles) southeast of Guatemala City.
