Honduras, long one of the poorest countries in Latin America, is now also among the most violent and crime-ridden. The violence is carried out by local drug trafficking groups, gangs, corrupt security forces and transnational criminal organizations mainly from Mexico and Colombia.
Honduras declared a state of exception as extortion cases rise, suspending constitutional rights in cities and deploying thousands of troops.
Honduras has freed dozens of individuals tied to organized crime a year after reforming its money laundering law.
Corruption, no supervision, and poor legislation have led to Latin American military weapons ending up in criminal hands.
Honduras is one of the most important drug trafficking operation centers between South America and Mexico. With all of its branches of government and its armed forces plagued by corruption, Honduras has evolved into a transit nation in which criminal groups, protected by the political system, have developed the capacity to produce cocaine hydrochloride in local laboratories.
Since the end of the last decade, political protection has allowed the traditional drug trafficking groups to flourish. Testimony provided by drug traffickers and Honduran politicians on trial in the United States have revealed the deep-seated connection between organized crime and the governing National Party.
Honduras’ major drug trafficking groups – like the Cachiros and the Valles – have largely been dismantled with the arrest and extradition of top leaders, but vestiges of these clans continue to operate. Political power brokers also have ties to drug smuggling and have even run trafficking operations themselves. The MS13 and Barrio 18 street gangs control urban neighborhoods in the country’s two major cities – Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula – and rural towns close to the border with El Salvador.
Extortion in the Northern Triangle is predominantly done from prisons, yet prison populations have been on the rise.
As world leaders met for the United Nations General Assembly, Latin American presidents expressed various concerns about organized crime.
Synthetic drugs like methamphetamine, fentanyl, and ecstasy are reshaping Latin America's drug trade.
The case of a Honduran broker who laundered cartel money has shed light on the importance of US banks.
The US government has added dozens of individuals to a list of allegedly corrupt actors in Central America.
Son of former Honduras President Porfirio “Pepe” Lobo Sosa by a well-armed commando has shocked the country.
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