Protected areas are critical for in situ conservation but face increasing human-induced threats. The effectiveness of mitigation strategies for these threats remains understudied, particularly in Central America. Our objective was to evaluate if a combined protocol—Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool (SMART) patrols and passive acoustic monitoring (PAM)—along with an adaptive management response, effectively reduced poaching in the Sierra Caral Water and Forest Reserve in Izabal, Guatemala. We also assessed how different covariates affected the number of detected poaching events. Data was collected from 2017 to 2021 through 1) PAM using Swift units and 2) SMART patrols. Using generalized linear models, we found a significant reduction in detected poaching events between the pre-adaptive management phase and the adaptive management phase, when patrols were oriented based on prior findings. Patrol distance (km) and moon illumination positively influenced the number of detected poaching events, while patrol effort (person-hours) had a negative effect. This study offers an initial approach for evaluating the effectiveness of integrating complementary monitoring methods—combining novel tools such as PAM with more traditional approaches like patrols—and adapting strategies accordingly. We propose that combining patrols and PAM within an adaptive management framework could improve efforts to mitigate poaching threats in protected areas. Moreover, such combinations may help bridge the North–South divide by reducing technology dependence through the inclusion of multipurpose tools like patrols, which support both threat detection and biodiversity monitoring. This approach also enhances local community involvement and benefits, making conservation efforts more inclusive and context-appropriate.