Weapons abound in Honduras, and armed street robberies are especially common, with criminals taking advantage of relatively isolated victims to steal their valuables. Central Intelligence Agency - The World Factbook - Honduras. Backlinks from other websites and blogs are the lifeblood of our site and are our primary source of new traffic. Roads have poor lighting and markings. Review OSACs reports, The Healthy Way, Traveling with Medication, Im Drinking What in My Water?, Shaken: The Donts of Alcohol Abroad, Health 101: How to Prepare for Travel, and Fire Safety Abroad. However, kidnapping figures are likely lower than reality, as families of kidnapping victims often pay ransoms without reporting these crimes to police out of fear of retribution. Find contact information for available medical services and available air ambulance services on the U.S. Embassy/Consulate website. Crime Information for Tourists in Honduras Crime is widespread in Honduras and requires a high degree of caution by U.S. visitors and residents alike. Yes, despite all the historical crime and violence, which don't affect tourists, El Salvador is safe to visit in 2023. Officials from several ministries conducted additional trainings and awareness-raising activities with support from NGOs and international organizations. By comparison, the United States has a global safety ranking of 128. The campaign includes a docuseries in which the testimonies of women survivors, like Rosa Mara, are central to raise awareness among the Honduran population on zero tolerance of all forms ofviolenceagainstwomenand girls. La Ceiba, Trujillo) and major hotels; other tourist installations have increased private and police security. in Choluteca: the cities of Apacilagua, Orocuina and San Isidro. According to the Peruvian National Police ( PNP ), crime increased 15% in 2021. Despite significant Honduras 2020 OSAC Crime & Safety Report. The violence is carried out by local drug trafficking groups, gangs, corrupt security forces and transnational criminal organizations mainly from Mexico and Colombia. The government did not make efforts to reduce the demand for commercial sex acts. Latest News Profile Criminal Actors Investigations News Latest News NGOs have reported anonymous attacks via social media, alleging that civil society actors are engaged in, or supportive of, criminal activity in Honduras. The U.S. Department of State has assessed Tegucigalpa as being a LOW-threat location for terrorism directed at or affecting official U.S. government interests. In 2019, there was one murder case involving a resident U.S. citizen in Roatn. 2.2. Our message is that we shouldnt leave womens and feminist institutions that fight to eradicate violence against women alone [on their mission], said Ana Cruz of Asociacin Calidad de Vida, an anti-violence organization. UNODC collects data on crime and the operation of criminal justice systems in order to make policy-relevant information and analysis available in a timely manner to the international community. The CICESCT convened a network of 32 government agencies and NGOs and coordinated the governments anti-trafficking efforts, including implementation of the 2016-2020 national anti-trafficking action plan. Detained U.S. citizens should insist on speaking to U.S. Embassy representatives as soon as possible. Copan, Roatan/Bay Islands, and other tourist destinations have lower crime rates than other parts of the country. Among the findings is that nine out of 10 news stories promote the dissemination of morbid details, include inadequate justifications and stereotypical reporting, which adds on to the misrepresentation of reality, which affects how this type of news is understood and interpreted by the public. 2022 estimated. . Honduras's most dangerous cities or towns: Tegucigalpa, San Pedro Sula, La Ceiba, El Progreso, El Paraso at Copn, Tocoa, Olancho, La Lima, Puerto Corts. There is often a spike in skimming in December and June, when the working population receive Christmas and mid-year bonuses in the form of one extra months salary. Violent crime is a serious issue in the entire country, with crimes such as kidnappings, rape, assaults, and murders. Increase investigations, prosecutions, and convictions of suspected traffickers, including complicit officials and forced labor crimes. ", expressed the UN Resident Coordinator in Honduras, Alice Shackelford, on Twitter. Not only are the bootlegs illegal in the United States, if you purchase them you may also be breaking local law and be subject to local penalties. Please check your download folder. An NGO noted courts continued to delay trafficking cases despite a requirement in the anti-trafficking law to process such cases in a timely manner, an issue further exacerbated by the pandemic. Extortion threats commonly originate through social engineering. Most demonstrations were concentrated in or around city centers, public buildings, and other public areas. 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. 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. Embassy employees and others have experienced skimming at well- known restaurants, hotels, and retailers. The Honduran National Police wear blue uniforms, while the PMOP normally wear green camouflage. 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Fire Department operations: +504-2231-1667. Avoid driving at night. Country Summary: Violent crime, such as homicide and armed robbery, is common. 0. This is a common practice for most automobile accidents where personal injury occurs, and for cases in which someone is accused of a criminal act. However, it is situated in a high crime area and has been the site of numerous armed robberies and thefts. In March 2019, the Honduran Government created the National Urban Transportation Security Force to combat extortion and other crimes perpetrated by gangs. Anyone with information is strongly encouraged to report the matter. Members of the LGBTI+ community have reported violent assaults because of gender identity and sexual orientation. However, Honduran law enforcement authorities ability to prevent, respond to, and investigate criminal incidents and prosecute criminals is limited. In 2020,278 women were murdered in the countryand, as of November 2021, more than 240 women have lost their lives violently. 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. The U.S. Embassy strongly discourages intercity car and bus travel after dark. Since 1995, 115 U.S. citizens were reported murdered in Honduras; of these, just 32 cases have been resolved. As reported over the past five years, human traffickers exploit domestic and foreign victims in Honduras, and traffickers exploit victims from Honduras abroad. Crime is widespread in Honduras and requires a high degree of caution by U.S. visitors and residents alike. It provided a family, a sense of belonging. The government modernized its national identification card system and began distributing new national identification cards in February 2021. The law on safe houses, which has been stalled in the National Congress since 2018, aims to recognize and fund safe houses to provide care for survivors of multiple forms of violence, ensuring their wellbeing and that of their families. 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 . Increase efforts to identify victims, including among particularly vulnerable populations such as adult migrants, and provide assistance to all victims, including forced labor victims. The events targeted members of at-risk groupsincluding children and students, individuals with disabilities, and indigenous personsas well as potential first responders and officials from key sectors such as education and tourism. Limited inspections could facilitate movements of terrorists. The police, along with the Ministry of Defenses Military Public Order Police (PMOP), routinely establish checkpoints and review documentation (e.g. For years, street gangs have charged protection money from bus and taxi drivers and store owners in Honduras, as in neighboring El Salvador. 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. Honduran law allowed foreign victims to receive temporary or permanent residency status, including authorization to work, though the government did not identify any foreign victims in 2020. Counterfeit products are predominately but not solely in the pharmaceutical and apparel industries. 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 . Index; Crime Index: 51.16: Safety Index: 48.84: Crime rates in Roatan, Honduras. The public transportation sector is a regular target of extortion, and experiences higher levels of homicide than many other sectors. InSight Crime's 2022 Homicide Round-Up covers more countries than ever before, with a major expansion into nations of the Caribbean. Story written by Maria ElenaClix, Communications and Advocacy Officer at the Office of the Resident Coordinator in Honduras. Traffickers exploit victims within their own homes or communities, including sometimes their own family members or friends. Correspondent John Holman reports from San Pedro Sula in Honduras, a city with the highest murder rate in the world, on how organized crime is devastating co. The municipalities in which kidnappings were reported include: Districto Central (4), Jacaleapa (1), Trojes (1), Siguatepeque (1), Puerto Cortes (1), Lejamani (1), Tocoa (1), Tela (1), and Comayagua (1). 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. Authorities convicted two government officials, one on pimping charges and one for paid sexual relations, for their involvement in sex trafficking crimes in 2017. Victims who tested positive for COVID-19 faced delays or limitations in receiving services from shelters. Widespread poverty and unemployment, along with significant street gang and drug trafficking activity, have contributed to the extremely high crime rate. Chicago, for example, has a per capita murder rate of 24 per 100,000. Reach the local police anywhere in Honduras by dialing 911. The women who have lost their lives violently this year are women who can no longer contribute to the economy and development of Honduras", she regretted. For more information on the work of the United Nations in Honduras, visit Honduras.UN.org. It is also recommended that drivers vary their routes and schedules so as to not create a predictable routine. Preliminary Observations of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights on its Visit to Honduras - May 15 TO 18, 2010 Honduras: Human Rights and the Coup D' ETAT - Dec. 2009 Return to the Top of the Page Justice System Foreign Government Reports Canada Responses to Information Requests (RIRs) Penalties for the possession, use, or trafficking of illegal narcotics are strict; convicted offenders can expect lengthy jail sentences and fines. This amount was an increase from 5.53 million lempiras ($221,400) provided in 2019, though officials reported they lacked adequate financial and human resources to provide comprehensive victim care, support victims throughout the country, and collect and analyze victim data. honduras crime and safety report 2022. 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. Avoid using Collectivos (white sedan taxis with a sticker on the windshield denoting its established route), Roleteros (private white sedan taxis with no established routes), and Rapiditos (small buses that pick up multiple riders). 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. Airlines estimate that approximately 250,000 U.S. citizens flew into Tegucigalpa, San Pedro Sula, or Roatn in 2019. Cruise lines and port agencies offer approved tour companies offering packages. Weather Alert for U.S. Citizens - Tropical Storm Julia (7 October, 2022) Message for U.S. Citizens: Absentee Voting Week is October 1-8, 2022 (28 September, 2022) Message for U.S. Citizens: Town Hall with Ambassador Dogu and Consular Services also Available in Roatan, Honduras (14 September, 2022)