Crimeupdated 52m ago2 min read
Guatemala Detains Rigoberto Choc Toz and Daniel Zaqueo Choc Toz After Juan Francisco Solórzano Foppa Killing
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Prominent anti-corruption lawyer Juan Francisco Solórzano Foppa was shot dead in Guatemala City. The attack at Campo Marte left a second man, Gustavo Aguilar Gamarro, dead.
Soccer match shooting
Former anti-corruption prosecutor Juan Francisco Solórzano Foppa was fatally shot along with another man at Campo Marte, a government-administered sports complex in Zone 5 of Guatemala City, on Saturday, October 17, 2026. The gunmen found their target at Campo Marte and at least four individuals dressed in athletic clothing took part in the execution-style attack. The attack on Saturday at the Campo Marte sports complex in Guatemala City resulted in the deaths of Foppa and another man, Gustavo Adolfo Aguilar Gamarro, according to the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
The shooting occurred at approximately 9:40 a.m. local time on Saturday, October 17, 2026, while Solórzano Foppa was participating in a football match at the Campo Marte recreational complex. Guatemala's National Civil Police announced the detention of two men shortly after the shooting, identifying the suspects as Rigoberto Choc Toz, 30, and Daniel Zaqueo Choc Toz, 28.
Arévalo condemns, arrests
President Bernardo Arévalo condemned the attack and said, "I strongly condemn the cowardly murder of former prosecutor Juan Francisco Solórzano Foppa," while also saying, "Both the direct perpetrators and those who ordered the crime must face the full weight of the law." Guatemalan police arrested two men and seized a carbine-style firearm and a motorcycle in connection with the case. Investigators found more than 30 spent cartridge casings at the scene, while the precise number of shots fired and the circumstances surrounding the attack remained subject to forensic examination.
Solórzano Foppa was shot dead at Campo Marte and another man, Gustavo Adolfo Aguilar Gamarro, was also killed in the attack. Solórzano Foppa was shot more than 50 times in front of his 14-year-old son.
Threats, investigations, impact
Solórzano Foppa was known for his anti-corruption work as head of the Criminal Investigations Directorate within the Public Prosecutor’s Office and later as head of Guatemala’s tax authority, when he helped prosecute dozens of powerful Guatemalan business figures. Solórzano Foppa had been under an official state security escort since 2010 and the scheme was reinforced in 2025 given his growing prominence as a public critic of criminal and governmental actors. The Maya and Xinka Indigenous Authorities of Guatemala demanded that the government of Guatemala put an end to a wave of violence escalating against political contenders as the country approached the start of the 2027 electoral process.
UDEFEGUA called for "a proper and transparent investigation into this crime" and reaffirmed solidarity with Solórzano Foppa’s family and loved ones. Investigators had not publicly established a motive or determined whether Solórzano Foppa's previous anti-corruption activities were linked to his killing, and it said the investigation must still establish individual responsibility through admissible evidence and judicial proceedings.