Review OSACs report, Understanding the Consular Travel Advisory System. The government places specially trained police forces in areas tourists frequent (e.g. You travel at your own risk and no warranties or guarantees are provided by us. We would like to show you a description here but the site won't allow us. Violent gang activity, such as extortion, violent street crime, rape, and narcotics and human trafficking, is widespread. Airlines estimate that approximately 250,000 U.S. citizens flew into Tegucigalpa, San Pedro Sula, or Roatn in 2019. . Two U.S. citizens reported incidents of rape or sexual assault between January and September 2013. The government provided 31 victims with witness protection services including measures to protect their identity; shelter; and economic, medical and psychosocial assistance. . Honduras's prison population has doubled over the past decade, partly due to a 2013 reform that greatly expanded the use of mandatory pre-trial detention. Those traveling with tour/missionary groups report fewer criminal incidents. Diarrheal illness is very common even in large cities and luxury accommodations. Natalia Lozano is a Honduran lawyer, working in the fields of human, women's, LGBT, and youth rights as the Honduran National Coordinator of Right Here Right Now. Authorities initiated prosecutions of nine suspects (seven for sex trafficking and two for forced labor), compared with 55 initiated in 2019 (53 for sex trafficking including procuring commercial sex acts and two for forced labor) and 35 in 2018. In March 2019, the Honduran Government created the National Urban Transportation Security Force to combat extortion and other crimes perpetrated by gangs. Migrants from Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Central America, the Middle East, and South America who transit Honduras en route to the United States are vulnerable to being exploited in trafficking. Some would-be muggers and gang members keep to a daily schedule, riding city buses from one stop to the next, committing criminal acts with impunity along the way. Traffickers exploit Honduran adults and children in forced labor in street vending, forced begging, domestic service, drug trafficking, and the informal sector in their own country, as well as forced labor in other countries, particularly Guatemala, Mexico, and the United States. Meanwhile, 59% reported having been assaulted at least once while a passenger in a taxi (Colectivo and Rolatero) in the past 12 months, 32% twice, 6% three times, and 3% more than three times. On May 30, protesters blocked several main avenues in Tegucigalpa, including access to Toncontn International Airport (TGU). In addition to complying with local laws, companies involved in natural resource extraction or energy generation should ensure they fully consult with communities in accordance with international standards. The state of emergency, in place since Dec. 6 in 165 areas of Honduras' largest two cities, Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula, has been expanded to 235 of the country's 298 municipalities, the . The government identified fewer victims overall and investigated, prosecuted, and convicted fewer suspects. Honduran regulations prohibited charging recruitment fees to workers, but the government did not report enforcement of these regulations in 2020. There are no legal cases involving instances of terrorism affecting U.S. citizens or facilities brought before the Honduran judicial system, and no reports of judicial developments that would have a negative impact on U.S. counterterrorism efforts. This resulted in multiple protests by environmentalist groups claiming the project is illegal due to the damage to the bioreserve and exacerbating the citys already dire water shortage. Head of Police Gustavo Snchez 7 Feb said state of emergency, first imposed in Dec 2022 to tackle extortion, had reduced average number of homicides per day from nine in 2022 to seven so far in 2023. . As a result of this study, UN Women will be organizing trainings for media outlets on objective and respectful journalism in these types of subjects. The U.S. Embassy estimates at least 30,000 U.S. citizens reside in Honduras. During 2019, multiple vehicles belonging to U.S. and Honduran employees of the U.S. Embassy were burglarized and/or vandalized on side streets around the Embassy compound. The government reported 41 calls to the CICESCT hotline led to 22 potential cases referred for investigation. UNODC works on the development of standards for national crime and criminal justice information systems and for the conduct of victimization surveys. The government reported investigating 82 cases of suspected sex trafficking and related crimes in 2020, compared with 91 suspected cases investigated in 2019 and 145 in 2018. Review OSACs report, Kidnapping: The Basics. Nicaragua used to be part of the CA-4 agreement, but in late 2017 began requiring travelers to register their travel purpose and destination online seven days in advance. There is street crime even in gated communities commonly referred to locally as Barrio Seguros; these are generally safer areas in which to reside because of their heightened security measures. U.S. citizens in Honduras on U.S. government orders are only allowed to visit the Basilica of Suyapa with an organized tour group that provides armed security for the group. Since 2012, the Honduran government signed agreements with Transparency International, the Construction Sector Transparency Initiative, and the Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative. Major cities (e.g. Law enforcement, immigration, and social service providers had written procedures for identifying and assisting victims, including screening for indicators of trafficking among vulnerable populations and referring potential victims to CICESCTs immediate response team. A study conducted by the Spotlight Initiative and civil society partnersincluding the University Institute for Democracy, Peace and Security (IUDPAS) of the National Autonomous University of Honduras (UNAH) and the communications company Sienprovided data on howmedia messages about violence against womenareframedin the news. Organized criminal groups, including local and transnational gangs and narcotics traffickers, were significant perpetrators of violent crimes and committed acts of homicide, torture, kidnapping, extortion, human trafficking, intimidation, and other threats and violence directed against human rights defenders, judicial authorities, lawyers, Sources indicate that organized criminal organizations have been . Instruct the driver not to pick up other passengers, agree on the fare before you depart, and have small bills available for payment, as taxi drivers often do not make change. Total Exports. The government did not provide an update on its investigation of alleged sexual exploitation of a female prisoner in a correctional facility from the previous year. Although reports of kidnappings have dropped considerably in recent years, they continue to affect both the local and expatriate communities, with victims sometimes paying large ransoms for the prospect of release. The U.S. Embassy has restricted U.S. government personnel travel to the Gracias a Dios Department in eastern Honduras because of credible threat information against U.S citizens. Find contact information for available medical services and available air ambulance services on the U.S. Embassy/Consulate website. Passing on blind corners is common. Kidnappings declined by 82% since 2013, from 92 in 2013 to 14 in 2018, and 12 in 2019. Visas - Most countries do not need a visa in order to enter Honduras for any stays shorter than 30 days.Make sure your passport is valid for at least six months past your date of arrival. Honduras removed the offense of sex tourism from its amended penal code, and the government did not investigate or prosecute any suspected trafficking cases in the tourism sector. HOUSTON Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Houston, with assistance from ERO Tegucigalpa and the Security Alliance for Fugitive Enforcement (SAFE) Task Force, removed Rufino Garza Monroy, a twice-deported foreign fugitive from the United States on Feb. 24. Travelers should be aware, however, that the assistance the Embassy can provide is limited to making sure U.S. citizens are not treated differently from local detainees and providing them with a list of local attorneys. U.S. citizens are encouraged to be vigilant of their surroundings at all times, especially when entering or exiting their homes, cars, garages, schools, and workplaces. Red Cross ambulance: 911, (504) 2227-7474 or (504) 2227-7575. 2018 toyota rav4 pros and cons. Those planning travel to Gracias a Dios should consider postponing their travel. However, Honduran law enforcement authorities ability to prevent, respond to, and investigate criminal incidents and prosecute criminals is limited. Crimes against U.S. citizens in the past year have ranged from petty theft to violent offenses, including armed robbery, home invasion, sexual assault, and several instances of murder and attempted murder. The Honduran government conducts occasional joint police/military patrols in major cities in an effort to reduce crime. U.S. citizens should exercise caution while sailing or mooring in Honduran waters. Honduras is far more deadly than even the most violent U.S. cities. Hondurans continue to be affected by MS-13 and Calle 18 gang activity in cities such as Tegucigalpa, Choloma, La Ceiba, Tela, and San Pedro Sula. If you use our chart images on your site or blog, we ask that you provide attribution via a link back to this page. OSAC encourages travelers to use this report to gain baseline knowledge of security conditions in Honduras. In October 2019, a thief stole the side view mirrors from a U.S. employees personally owned vehicle while it was parked on a side street near the Embassy. what did the menendez brothers parents do to them osac crime and safety report honduras Posted on July 8, 2021by Published by at June 7, 2022. Crime is widespread in Honduras and requires a high degree of caution by U.S. visitors and residents alike. NGOs have reported anonymous attacks via social media, alleging that civil society actors are engaged in, or supportive of, criminal activity in Honduras. Perpetrators of sexual assaults are often armed. Contact OSACs Latin America team with any questions or to join. Major cities connect via an inconsistently maintained, two-lane system of paved roads, with many unpaved secondary roads. The government conducted law enforcement operations targeting irregular migration and increased border enforcement, leading to 160 arrests for smuggling crimes that increased migrants vulnerability to trafficking. Municipalities With the Highest Number of Homicides, 600 500 400 478 300 410 200 100 251 112 101 100 94 69 61 56 54 54 54 53 50 45 41 40 37 35 0, January to December 2019, Secretariat of Security Honduran National Police, Honduran Municipalities With Highest Percentage of Homicides 25.0% 20.0% 15.0% 10.0% 5.0% 0.0%, Honduran Municipalities With Highest Percentage of Homicides. Police may take hours to arrive at the scene of a violent crime or may not respond at all. The government adapted its training and awareness-raising activities targeting groups at high risk of trafficking and potential first responders to online platforms, reaching a broader geographic range of stakeholders. Amend the penal code to ensure the penalties prescribed for trafficking crimes are commensurate with the penalties prescribed for other grave crimes, such as rape. Among the 45 Cuban medical professionals the government contracted to assist during the pandemic, some may have been forced to work by the Cuban government. OSAC has developed into an enormously successful joint venture, with U.S. companies and organizations receiving the tools they need to cope with security issues in a . There is no information to suggest that criminals specifically target U.S. citizens or foreigners. Review OSACs report, Security In Transit: Airplanes, Public Transport, and Overnights. The country does not appear to be a terrorist safe haven. Chicago, for example, has a per capita murder rate of 24 per 100,000. Read more about the coordinated response to COVID-19. One should confirm content prior to traveling from other reliable sources.
