Honduras Security News

A 36-year-old security supervisor in San Pedro Sula was found unharmed after police determined he had staged his own abduction and sent WhatsApp messages demanding one million lempiras (about $40,000) from his wife; he was taken to a police station and will be referred to prosecutors on a charge of simulating a nonexistent offense.

Former deputy security minister Semma Julissa Villanueva did not appear Monday for a scheduled testimony with the Special Organized Crime Prosecutor's Office in the investigation of missing woman Angie Peña, whom Villanueva had publicly commented on.

Joseph David Vuelto, 16, disappeared Friday after his fishing boat capsized near Cayos Cochinos in the Caribbean; his companion was rescued, but search efforts have found only his fishing gear.

An analysis by Honduras's National Violence Observatory found 13 municipalities across 16 departments recorded zero or minimal homicides over the past decade (2016–2025), with Mercedes de Oriente in La Paz recording no murders at all during the ten-year period.

An elderly man died after being hit by a car while crossing the Anillo Periférico in Tegucigalpa on Sunday, July 26, in the area between the Divino Paraíso and Cantarero López neighborhoods.

Óscar Rafael Amador, a respected teacher in Guayape, Olancho, was killed in a shooting attack on Sunday; police are investigating but have not identified suspects or a motive.

A 31-year-old man was arrested in San Pedro Sula after a woman reported that her ex-partner, allegedly intoxicated, attempted to sexually assault her granddaughter at their home.

Police in Cortés identified a suspect accused of filling vehicles with fuel and driving away without paying at multiple gas stations in San Pedro Sula and Villanueva, with security footage capturing the most recent incident.

Moisés Girón was fatally shot in front of his house in the Ramón Amaya Amador neighborhood of Comayagüela; police are investigating the killing.

Luis Castro, the President's private secretary, was hospitalized after a traffic accident on the CA-5 highway on July 26; officials said none of those in the vehicle suffered serious injuries.

Joceline Lizeth Martínez Martínez, 45, a San Pedro Sula native living in Tegucigalpa, died after being hit by a vehicle while crossing Boulevard Fuerzas Armadas on July 24; she was the daughter of Judge Nelly Lizeth Martínez Martínez.

A 25-year-old Mexican man was arrested in San Pedro Sula after allegedly using a mobile phone to withdraw over L190,000 (about $7,600) from automated teller machines through unauthorized digital transactions.

Génesis María Ortiz Ramírez, 11, disappeared from her home in San Pedro Sula's Nuevos Horizontes neighborhood early on July 25; her family says she did not leave willingly and is seeking public help to locate her.

Police arrested a 68-year-old security guard and a 20-year-old mason in connection with the machete killing of Eliezer Isaías Cruz in Roatán on July 24; investigators say at least five other suspects remain at large.

Authorities in San Pedro Sula will enforce a 600-lempira (about $24) fine against drivers who fail to yield to pedestrians at marked crosswalks, a violation of the Traffic Law that officials say is routinely ignored.

Rafael Antonio Herrera, 46, a former municipal councilman and businessman in Goascorán (Valle department), was shot and killed after a dispute over a dog that had bitten his son; his son was also wounded, and a suspect has been arrested.

Police discovered the bagged body of a young man bound hand and foot with signs of severe torture in the Nueva Suyapa neighborhood of Tegucigalpa on Saturday; his identity and whether he was local remain unknown.

Passengers on a minibus to Teupasenti restrained a driver who crashed while intoxicated, holding him until police arrived; authorities are investigating and will conduct alcohol tests.

Police and prosecutors executed searches in Peñitas Arriba (El Merendón, San Pedro Sula) to dismantle the gang led by 'Juan El Malón,' accused of murders and terror that forced over 26 families to flee the community.

Honduras's Criminal Investigation Directorate reported 118 arrests of suspects linked to murders of women through July 2026, the result of nationwide investigative operations and intelligence work.

A taxi driver identified as José Carrasco was shot and killed Friday afternoon in the Villa Neen neighborhood of La Ceiba; police have launched an investigation but have not yet identified a motive or suspects.

The Public Ministry will formally question former Deputy Security Minister Julissa Villanueva and demand she submit evidence she claims to hold about the disappearance of Angie Peña, after she publicly accused the Criminal Investigation Agency (ATIC) of obstructing the investigation.

A court rejected ex-prosecutor Francia Sofía Medina's request to be released pending sentencing in the BCH vault-theft case, though her lawyer argues she has already spent the legal maximum of 2.5 years in pretrial detention and filed an appeal.

A man and woman were convicted of sexual assault, aggravated assault, and family violence against three children ages 6, 9, and 12, with the stepfather receiving 43.5 years and his partner an additional sentence.

Police and anti-kidnapping units rescued a 5-year-old girl and her caregiver in Las Vegas, Santa Bárbara, after kidnappers demanded 7 million lempiras (about $280,000) and abandoned them when officers flooded the area.

National Police arrested a 26-year-old engineering student in San Manuel, Cortés, after a court-ordered raid on a home where officers seized 15 kilograms of marijuana valued at approximately 500,000 lempiras (about $20,000) and equipment used for packaging drugs for distribution across the Sula Valley.

A Honduran woman reported a scam attempt using artificial intelligence to impersonate content creator Carlos Eduardo Espina in a fake video call demanding thousands of dollars by claiming a relative was detained.

National Police arrested a man in Tegucigalpa and seized 70 packets of cocaine, 20 packets of marijuana, and 80 bags of crack cocaine.

An elderly woman in Choluteca's Manuel Valladares neighborhood filed a complaint after her 22-year-old grandson attacked her with kitchen utensils and her daughter threatened her with death at the police station; both were arrested and police said protective measures will remain in place.

A judge conducting case proceedings visited Honduras's criminal investigation agency as part of ongoing judicial work into the 2022 disappearance of Angie Peña, a high-profile missing-person case whose family recently filed a habeas corpus petition with the Supreme Court.