CARJACKING OF U.S. MISSION VEHICLE AND ABDUCTION

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TEGUCIGALPA 002579

SIPDIS

FOR DS/DSS, DS/IP/ITA, DS/IP/WHA, DS/IP/OPO, DS/OPO/OSD

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ASEC
SUBJECT: CARJACKING OF U.S. MISSION VEHICLE AND ABDUCTION
OF FSN EMPLOYEE



1. (SBU) Summary: At approximately 1700 hours on Thursday,
12/22/2005, a USAID-employed Foreign Service National (FSN)
was returning an official vehicle to the USAID warehouse when
he was intercepted by a pickup-truck occupied by five masked
gunmen armed with automatic weapons. Three of the gunmen
forced entry into the USAID vehicle and ordered the FSN to
drive them away. The remaining two assailants followed in
their truck. The gunmen, who took the FSN's national
identification card, watch, and USAID-issued radio, demanded
to know the addresses of his American supervisors. The FSN
told them that he did not know this information and begged
for his life, stating that he had an ill nine-year old son.
The assailants and the FSN spent the entire night in the
vehicles, which were parked on the side of the road in a
local neighborhood. The following day, the gunmen ordered
the FSN to drive to his house and pick up his son. They then
drove back to the area that they stayed the previous night
and the FSN, his son, and one gunmen remained in the pick-up
all day while the other four gunmen left in the USG Suburban.
The FSN and his son were released, without injury, at 1800
hours on Friday 12/23/2005. The official USG vehicle was
apparently abandoned the same day has since been recovered by
the local police. End Summary.


2. (SBU) At 1200 hours on 12/24/2005, USAID EXO Neil Kester
notified Acting RSO of a carjacking of an official USAID
vehicle and of the abduction of the FSN driver. At 1300
hours, RSO, USAID EXO, RSO FSNI, and USAID FSN motorpool
supervisor interviewed the driver, The following details
were obtained: At approximately 1700 hours on Thursday,
12/22/2005, USAID storekeeper Oscar Cruz Bonilla, a 15-year
employee of the Mission, was returning an official Mission
vehicle, a grey Chevrolet Suburban with license pates
MI-3623, from the USAID building to the USAID warehouse.
While making the final turn to the warehouse, which is about
one mile from the main USAID building, a blue, single cab
Toyota pickup-truck with tinted windows and without license
plates intercepted the FSN's vehicle. (The only identifying
plates on the vehicle was a rear basketball vanity plate
bearing the name "Jordon"). Before the employee could react,
five masked gunmen pointed their weapons at the employee and
forced entry into the vehicle. Two of the attackers were
armed with Uzi submachine guns and the other three carried
revolvers. According to the FSN, all of the gunmen were
wearing military-style boots and were wearing blue jeans.
Additionally, at least some of the men, all described as
Honduran males aged 35-40 years with local accents, wore
military type backpacks. Two of the assailants had
identical, blue snake tattoos on both of their upper arms.
Three of the gunmen remained in the Suburban (two in the
front seat and one in the rear) and ordered the FSN to drive
away while the remaining two gunmen followed in their
pickup-truck.


3. (SBU) Both vehicles drove to a location near the city
dump, in an area known as Olanchao, about a 20-minute drive
to the east of Tegucigalpa. They parked on the side of the
road, tied-up the FSN, and demanded that the FSN tell them
the addresses of his American supervisors. The FSN stated
that he did not know this information and begged them not to
kill him as he had a sick nine-year old son at home whom he
needed to take care of. All five attackers and the FSN
stayed all night in the vehicles, remaining in the same
location on the side of the road in Olanchao. According to
the FSN, the conversation was limited. They attackers
continually pointed their weapons at him and prodded him for
information about the locations of his supervisors'
residences. The FSN repeated that he honestly did not know
that information and pleaded with them to spare his life.


4. (SBU) At 0700 hours the following morning, on Friday
12/23/2005. the FSN complied with their orders to drive all
of them in the USG vehicle (leaving the pick-up truck behind
in Olanchao) to the FSN's residence in order to verify that
he indeed had a sick child. The gunmen remained in the
Suburban and ordered the FSN to go into his house alone and
retrieve his son. They told him not to alert anyone inside
or they would kill him. The FSN went inside, got his
nine-year old son, and returned with him to the awaiting
vehicles. The FSN, as ordered, did not alert his wife of the
situation. The five gunmen, the FSN, and the FSN's son then
drove back to their previous location in the Olanchao
neighborhood. At approximately 0800 hours, four of the
gunmen drove off in the USAID Suburban while the FSN, his
son, and one gunman stayed behind in the attacker's pick-up
truck. They remained in the truck all day, until
approximately 1800 hours.


5. (SBU) When the FSN did not show-up for work that day,
USAID personnel attempted to ascertain his whereabouts.
Likewise, the FSN's wife, not knowing where her husband or
child were, became worried and initiated her own search.
Meanwhile, at 1800 hours, both the FSN and his son were
released and walked back to Tegucigalpa. Before granting
their release, the FSN was told not to report the incident to
the police and that if he did, they would return to kill him
as they know where he lives. The USG vehicle, which
apparently was involved in a minor traffic accident the same
day, was abandoned and has since been recovered and is
located at a local police storage yard.


6. (SBU) According to the FSN, he believes that his
attackers are professional robbers, judging from their
mannerisms, the firearms that they were using, and their
attire. He stated that the area of the abduction, near the
USAID warehouse, was deserted at the time of the attack and
that there were no witnesses. When questioned as to a
possible motive for the carjacking and abduction, the FSN
theorized that his attackers perhaps took the USG vehicle for
use in other criminal acts during the day on Friday, when the
four gunmen drove off in it. (RSO note: The RSO will
follow-up on this theory and attempt to determine if indeed
the police have knowledge of any incident where the USG
vehicle was involved. Also, the FSN added that the
assailants told his son that they were policemen. This
information, although remotely possible, remains
unverifiable. End RSO note) The FSN, fearing for his safety
and for the safety of his family, does not wish to appear in
person to report this incident to the local authorities. RSO
will submit a report, however, to the local police detailing
the events that occurred and reporting the description of the
attacker's truck. Additionally, RSO has notified the LGF and
the Surveillance Detection team, and has placed additional
LGF patrols on the three American USAID supervisor's
residences. All three American supervisors have been
notified of the situation.


7. (SBU) RSO will continue to monitor this situation
closely and will work with the local authorities in
recovering the USG vehicle and in the subsequent
investigation. USAID is also offering support to the
employee and to his family in light of this traumatic
experience. Point of contact for this matter is Acting RSO
Robert A. Rentz.
Ford