CONTINUING CORRUPTION WITHIN GOVERNMENT OF

C O N F I D E N T I A L TEGUCIGALPA 002443 SIPDIS PASS TO DS/CR/CIL M. BAYER, DS/IP/WHA T.KEIL, AND M.FLYNN DS/ITA K. HALL E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/01/2014 TAGS: ASEC SUBJECT: CONTINUING CORRUPTION WITHIN GOVERNMENT OF HONDURAS IMMIGRATION SERVICE REF: A. 04 TEGUCIGALPA 02370 ¶B. TEGUCIGALPA 01936 ¶C. TEGUCIGALPA 01790 ¶D. TEGUCIGALPA 01376 ¶E. TEGUCIGALPA 00993 ¶F. TEGUCIGALPA 00930 ¶G. TEGUCIGALPA 00900 ¶H. TEGUCIGALPA 00901 ¶1. (C) Summary - RSO, in conjunction with Department of Homeland Security (DHS),is investigating a smuggling operation involving immigration officials from Honduras and Guatemala. We believe this operation involves the smuggling of Brazilian nationals through Honduras and Guatemala with the final destination being the United States. At this point, RSO and DHS feels at least three Honduran immigration officials are involved with more possibly to be implicated in the future. To date, over 25 Brazilians have transited Honduras on their way to the United States. This is yet another example of corruption within the Honduran immigration service. (See reftels noted above) RSO is concerned that the Honduran immigration service remains seriously deficient and this in turn could have serious national security ramification on the U.S. homeland. End Summary ¶2. (C) In the past month, RSO Tegucigalpa, in conjunction with DHS, has been investigating another case of corruption within the Honduran Immigration Service. During this investigation, RSO and DHS have identified three Honduran immigration officials as being involved in the illegal transport of Brazilian Nationals. The Honduran officials ensure their safe passage through Honduras to the Guatemalan border. Once in Guatemala a corrupt immigration official there takes control of them and ensures their unimpeded travel north to the United States. Both DHS and RSO believe that as this operation grows larger, it will require the cooperation/involvement of more Honduran immigration officials. At this juncture, RSO and DHS have learned in the last two weeks that 25 Brazilians have transited through Honduras on their way to the U.S. Our investigation indicates, if these travelers are successful then the number of Brazilians will likely increase in the future. ¶3. (C) DHS Tegucigalpa has opened an investigation entitled operation "SAMBA" and is requesting assistance from all DHS operational elements along the U.S. Mexican border. Currently, DHS does not know the intended entry point the Brazilians will use to enter into the U.S. ¶4. (C) RSO Tegucigalpa is requesting, through DS/CIL, the assistance of RSO Brasilia. RSO has a list of names and passport numbers of the Brazilians who have thus far traveled through Honduras and on to Guatemala. RSO Tegucigalpa requests any information on these illegal travelers that can be provided to include criminal history. The list of Brazilian travelers will follow in a Septel. ¶5. POC for this investigation is ARSO Bill Stowell Ford