Extortion Plagues Honduras, Claiming Lives and Costing Billions
San Pedro Sula, Honduras – Extortion has become a rampant and deadly crime in Honduras, with statistics showing that from 2010 to 2019, it claimed the lives of 1,700 Hondurans, leaving the nation in mourning.
The transportation sector has been particularly hard hit by extortion, with approximately 80 percent of victims being motorcyclists, helpers, and businessmen in that field, according to the non-governmental organization Association for a More Just Society (ASJ). This has resulted in the killing of 52 motorists and assistants so far in 2023, with gang members also burning eight units of different companies.
The modus operandi of the criminal organizations involved in extortion is particularly menacing, with transporters receiving threatening messages along with bullets left in a bag containing a cell phone, instructing them to communicate and agree to the demands. Additionally, these criminal organizations also resort to shooting at the transporters to further intimidate them.
Extortion has not only affected the transportation sector but has also taken a toll on businesses, with Hondurans estimated to pay approximately 737 million dollars per year to organized criminal groups.
These groups have evolved their methods of collecting extortion, moving beyond cash payments to electronic wallets, bank deposits, clandestine raffles, couriers, forced purchases, and clandestine loans. Businesses are often targeted with extortionate notes or messages, and the collection of extortion money is delegated to lower-level members, with severe consequences for those who fail to provide clear accounts.
It is a grim reality in Honduras, where extortion is not just a financial burden but also a matter of life and death. As the government and law enforcement agencies continue to grapple with this issue, the people of Honduras remain in fear of the violence and instability caused by these criminal organizations.