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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS CONTROL STRATEGY REPORT, MARCH 1996: HONDURAS
United States Department of State
Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs
I. Summary
Cocaine from South America transits Honduras by land and maritime
routes. Marijuana is cultivated there, primarily for local consumption.
The Honduran police and armed forces cooperate readily with the USG, but
endemic corruption has limited the success of interdiction efforts. In
1995 a counternarcotics section, with its own special prosecutor, was
created within the Public Ministry. Legislation on money laundering and
asset seizure was introduced in 1995. Honduras is a party to the 1988
UN Convention.
II. Status of Country
Honduras is a transit country because of its geographic position on the
Central American isthmus. Cocaine from South America, destined for the
U.S., transits Honduras because of limited customs controls, corrupt and
low-paid border officials, and a large volume of commercial vehicular
traffic. The country's most suitable area for clandestine strips does
not have a good road network, thus drugs are seldom transshipped by
aircraft. Also, the Honduran Air Force, on three occasions in the past
decade, shot down drug-smuggling planes. Narcotics production is not a
significant problem in Honduras.
Transit by sea is relatively risk-free due to the meager resources of
the Honduran navy which has limited fuel and only a few poorly-
maintained patrol boats. Moreover, naval personnel have little
counternarcotics training. The Bay Islands have a long tradition of
smuggling and limited government presence. Honduras' active fishing
fleet provides perfect cover for maritime trafficking. Drugs are
concealed in containers of U.S.-destined frozen seafood which cannot be
inspected without risking the contents' destruction.
III. Country Actions Against Drugs in 1995
Policy Initiatives. The Government of Honduras (GOH) does not have a
counternarcotics master strategy. An executive order is expected to be
signed in 1996 that will bring all counter-drug investigations under the
Criminal Investigations Directorate (DIC), which also has a drug
prosecutor. Although, Honduras is not considered an important regional
financial center, money laundering could become a problem owing to the
lack of either regulatory controls or strong legislation. Money
laundering is not a criminal offense, but at the end of 1995
comprehensive money laundering legislation was being drafted and was
expected to be passed in mid-1996 along with legislation on precursors
and asset seizures.
Accomplishments. In 1995, four major eradication operations seriously
curtailed marijuana cultivation. Efforts against the distribution of
crack cocaine were stepped up, resulting in severe disruption of supply
networks. Counterdrug action at the ports was also enhanced. There was
an increase in asset seizures over the previous year. Extraditions of
non-Hondurans also increased. Honduras participated in Operation
Unidos, a pan-Central American anti-drug effort. Demand reduction
efforts have been highly successful due to the increase in trained
personnel.
Law Enforcement Efforts. Marijuana seizures in 1995 were over 3.1 mt, a
considerable increase over the .37 mt seized the previous year. Cocaine
seizures, however, were significantly less than in years past. For the
first time, counter-drug work was allocated a separate budget, thereby
underscoring the GOH commitment to counternarcotics. Personnel
dedicated to counternarcotics are being increased by several hundred
people. The first group of new agents for the Public Ministry's
narcotics unit will complete their training early in 1996.
Corruption. It is difficult to estimate the precise extent to which
corruption impedes law enforcement, although corruption appears to be
endemic. In 1995, a senior active duty military officer was sentenced
to 21 years for narcotics trafficking, another step toward ending the
traditional impunity enjoyed by the Honduran elite. That advance was
significantly modified when early in 1996, the officer's sentence was
reduced to five years.
Agreements and Treaties. The GOH is an active member of CICAD and has
bilateral counternarcotics agreements with the U.S., Mexico, Belize,
Jamaica, Venezuela and Colombia. There is no agreement with the U.S. on
money laundering or precursor chemicals. In 1991 the USG and GOH signed
a bilateral Tax Information Exchange Agreement (TIEA) which permits
information-sharing on citizens suspected of tax fraud. The TIEA
demonstrates GOH cooperation and is an extremely effective instrument
for combatting money laundering. Honduras has ratified the 1988 UN
Convention but has not yet fully implemented its provisions. There is a
bilateral extradition treaty between Honduras and the United States, but
it is used infrequently.
Cultivation/Production. Marijuana is produced in Honduras for domestic
use. The GOH has no sophisticated technology to determine crop size,
although basic aerial photography is employed. Aerial spray of
herbicides is not used because illicit crops are intermingled with
legitimate food sources.
Drug Flow/Transit. Honduras is a transit country. It is estimated that
90% of the drugs that enter the country are destined for the U.S. There
was an increased number of port interdictions in the southern part of
the country.
Domestic Programs/Demand Reduction. There is domestic crack cocaine and
marijuana consumption, but the main addiction problems in Honduras
remain alcohol and inhalants of all types. Honduras has an active
demand reduction program which is coordinated by the Honduran Institute
for the Prevention of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse. The Ministries of
Public Health and Public Education are also involved in demand
reduction. Non-governmental organizations, often with USG support,
carried out several demand reduction activities in 1995. Over 200
people participated in community awareness workshops, which resulted in
the creation of community-wide mobilization drug prevention actions.
IV. U.S. Policy Initiatives and Programs
Policy Initiatives. U.S. policy recognizes that, while Honduras is
committed to the anti-drug fight, its lack of resources and ill-equipped
and ill-trained personnel mean that its anti-drug efforts would be
largely ineffectual without USG assistance. Honduras is among the
poorest countries in the hemisphere.
Bilateral Cooperation. U.S. goals are to improve GOH capabilities to
detect, interdict, and investigate drug traffic and to encourage
cooperation with other countries on drug-related activities such as
money laundering and chemical diversion. Additionally, the USG goal is
to develop Honduran capability to suppress trafficking, consumption and
export of illicit narcotics. In 1995 the main recipients of USG
counternarcotics assistance were the canine unit, counter-drug units,
and the Bay Island task force.
The Road Ahead. The Honduran commitment to the battle against drugs is
evident. We shall continue to build on the spirit of cooperation that
already exists and support Honduran efforts through training, joint
exercises and other forms of available support. We will encourage the
speedy passage of pending anti-narcotics legislation.
[Editor's Note: EXCEL file; see Charts and Graphs Directory]
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