Honduras Security News

Cinthia Melissa Hernández Cruz, 18, who disappeared on June 25, was found buried in the yard of a house in Tegucigalpa's La Sosa neighborhood after residents reported a foul odor; authorities are investigating the death.

Two brothers, Osman Naín Jiménez Munguía, 26, and Darwin Javier Padilla Jiménez, were shot and killed by armed gunmen in the Lomas de Buenos Aires neighborhood of La Ceiba on Tuesday night; authorities are investigating the incident.

A 16-year-old boy died at a Tegucigalpa hospital after being shot by police during a June 30 operation in La Esperanza, Intibucá; his mother says officers beat and shot him, while police say they are investigating the officers involved.

Prosecutors seized 228 assets worth over 420 million lempiras (about $17 million) linked to the Los Domínguez criminal organization in a simultaneous operation across Choluteca and Valle departments, including property, businesses, and financial accounts allegedly connected to drug trafficking and money laundering.

A judge ordered Wilian Obeth Medina Cáli held in pretrial detention after he allegedly hit and killed Alejandra Patricia Meza Reyes, 23, a municipal band member from Petoa, Santa Bárbara, in a traffic accident in La Esperanza, Intibucá; prosecutors plan to upgrade the charge to aggravated reckless homicide.

A court in San Pedro Sula found three people guilty of human trafficking, forced labor, aggravated assault, and illegal adoption of four children they exploited in scrap collection under threats and chains in Puerto Cortés, with potential sentences of up to 37 years each.

An explosion at a home-based fireworks and powder-products facility in Copán killed two people—a woman and a 4-year-old child—and injured three others with severe burns; authorities said high temperatures and a possible lack of safety measures likely contributed to the blast, though investigations are ongoing.

José Enrique Amaya, 29, was arrested in Yoro after police discovered he had staged his own kidnapping using tomato paste to simulate wounds, demanding 600,000 lempiras (about $24,000) from his sister in the United States.

National Police arrested a man wanted for homicide who had evaded justice for more than two decades.

A specialized national tribunal convicted six people of drug trafficking, illegal weapons possession, and criminal association; sentencing is scheduled for August 7.

A San Pedro Sula trial court acquitted Denis Javier Erazo Cruz of multiple counts of aggravated sexual assault, rape, and human trafficking of a minor, citing insufficient evidence.

The National Police confiscated seven motorcycles from minors in Copán department for various traffic violations under the Transit Law.

Police say the homicide rate fell to 11.74 per 100,000 in the first six months of 2026, with 103 municipalities reporting zero killings, though experts urge independent verification and note femicides remain high at around 135 cases.

Honduras's air-defense capabilities depend on an experimental radar developed by Defense University engineering students, covering a 100-kilometer radius, after Israeli-purchased radars installed in 2013–2014 failed to function.

National Police antidrug teams seized 154 packages of alleged cocaine hidden beneath the seats of a pickup truck during a checkpoint operation in Namasigüe, Choluteca.

Police arrested two alleged members of the 18th Street Gang caught collecting extortion payments from transport operators and small business owners in Amarateca, seizing cash, phones, and a motorcycle.

A judge ordered Willian Fabricio Acuña Ramírez held in pretrial detention on charges of two counts of aggravated sexual assault against protected witnesses, with a preliminary hearing set for July 21.

A judge ordered Osmán Adalid Carrasco García held in pretrial detention on suspicion of murdering Joel López, with a preliminary hearing set for July 21.

Police arrested a man in Cantarranas, Francisco Morazán, on suspicion of attempting to kill his brother; officers seized a knife from him.

Honduras's Central Bank issued a public alert about fraudulent websites, calls, and messages impersonating the institution to steal personal data and banking information, and warned against fake investment platforms falsely claiming official authorization.

Danilo Flores and Aracely Ramírez were killed by gunfire on Sunday afternoon in the El Cablote sector of Lajas, Comayagua; armed assailants intercepted them on an isolated road, fired multiple times, and fled.

Police arrested four men in Juticalpa, Olancho, accused of drug distribution, cattle theft, and illegal weapons possession; officers seized two 9mm firearms during the operation.

Authorities in Tela are investigating the death of an unidentified woman found on a beach in the Garífuna community of San Juan on Sunday morning with a gunshot wound; a man admitted to the hospital with a bullet injury the same night is also under investigation.

Keylin Gómez, 19, died on June 27 after a motorcycle accident in Arenales, Lepaera, in the Lempira department; authorities are investigating the cause.

A woman died early Sunday when her car struck an electrical pole on the Peripheral Ring road near Tegucigalpa's Quezada neighborhood; authorities suspect excessive speed caused the crash, which left another person injured.

Residents discovered the decomposed body of an unidentified man floating at a waterfall in Zambrano on June 28; locals suspect he may have fallen accidentally, and authorities are investigating whether it matches Oscar Orlando Canales, missing since June 17.

Martín Adonis Grandes Velásquez, a 29-year-old barber, was shot and killed in the Sandoval Sorto neighborhood of San Pedro Sula; authorities are investigating the motive.

INTERPOL arrested two Honduran nationals who had been deported from the United States on suspicion of attempted murder and homicide.

Honduran prosecutors' agents destroyed a coca plantation containing 7,280 plants in a mountainous area of Bonito Oriental, Colón, as part of ongoing anti-drug operations across the country.

Police arrested a 24-year-old resident of Choloma in Cortés on suspicion of drug trafficking, seizing nine packets of suspected cocaine during a patrol in the Las Américas neighborhood as part of a public-safety operation.