A Guatemalan member of Congress and three National Civil Police officers were killed Friday in an armed attack in Rio Hondo, in the eastern department of Zacapa, Al Jazeera and the South China Morning Post reported^1,3.

Congressman Julio Cesar Portillo Paz was taken to a hospital with serious injuries before his death was confirmed by the National Unity of Hope party, or UNE, both outlets said^1,3.

Guatemala's Congress said on X that President Luis Contreras, board members and lawmakers mourned Portillo, a representative of the Zacapa district, Al Jazeera reported¹.

President Bernardo Arevalo said the three officers died in the line of duty and instructed security forces to cooperate with prosecutors, according to both accounts^1,3. SCMP quoted him as saying criminal violence would not be allowed to prevail over Guatemalans' lives and safety³.

Authorities had not named a motive or those responsible^1,3. Al Jazeera said Zacapa is known for drug trafficking and that the Lorenzana family cartel, linked to Mexico's Sinaloa cartel, controls the drug trade there¹.

Portillo won his seat in 2023 for the opposition party Cabal and later switched to UNE, led by former first lady Sandra Torres, who is expected to run for president next year, Al Jazeera reported¹.

The killings came about three weeks after former anticorruption prosecutor Juan Francisco Solorzano Foppa was shot dead in Guatemala City; both outlets said authorities had not established a connection between the attacks^1,3.