GANGS IN HONDURAS (C-CN5-00136) - RESPONSES TO

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TEGUCIGALPA 000586 SIPDIS SENSITIVE STATE FOR WHA, WHA/CEN, WHA/PPC, DRL/PHD, AND DS STATE FOR INL, INL/LP, INR/I, INR/C, INR/AN/IAA, EB, AND CA STATE PASS AID FOR LAC/CEN AND DCHA/DG/ROL DEA FOR NTRM/BERGMANN DOJ FOR NDIC/ORGANIZED CRIME AND VIOLENCE UNIT (LCASALE) E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KCRM PINR PGOV SNAR SOCI PHUM SMIG ASEC HO SUBJECT: GANGS IN HONDURAS (C-CN5-00136) - RESPONSES TO WASHINGTON QUESTIONS REF: A. STATE 31336 ¶B. TEGUCIGALPA 261 ¶C. 04 TEGUCIGALPA 2874 ¶D. 04 TEGUCIGALPA 2841 ¶E. 04 STATE 227915 ¶F. 04 TEGUCIGALPA 1843 AND PREVIOUS ¶G. 04 SAN SALVADOR 2232 ¶1. (SBU) This cable responds to questions raised in ref A: ¶A. (SBU) The Annual Report of the International Narcotics Control Board, released March 2, specifically states that "In countries in Central America, many youth gangs have become involved in violent crime and drug trafficking." See http://www.incb.org/e/ind ar.htn (paragraph 268) for the text of the report. DEA/Tegucigalpa sees gangs involved buying and selling drugs at the retail street level. Occasionally, DEA gets info that organized drug trafficking organizations use street level gang members for contract killings or other types of dirty jobs so that organized groups can distance themselves from the actual violent act. Gang members obtain their drugs from either organized groups or other street-level distributors. Their relationship to their suppliers can be difficult to determine. If suppliers are family members or they have established long-term relationships within underworld circles, their connections will be close. Gangs have been involved with local distribution. DEA has not seen narcotrafficking cells organized within strictly gang circles for cross-border trafficking in Central America. ¶B. (SBU) National Party presidential nominee Porfirio "Pepe" Lobo took a strong upswing in the polls after the December 23, 2004 bus massacre of 28 people in San Pedro Sula, allegedly committed by the Mara Salvatrucha. Lobo never trailed again following the massacre, and crested to a landslide victory on February 20 over Tegucigalpa Mayor Miguel Pastor. Contrary to some worries, there were no violent incidents by gang members on election day. Lobo is likely to continue to use the gang issue to his advantage in his race against Liberal Party nominee Mel Zelaya. Crime, including the gang issue, vies with economic concerns, including unemployment, for the top concern of Hondurans in polls. ¶C. (U) New amendments to the penal code specifically aimed at increasing punishments for gang-related crimes were passed by Congress January 20, ratified by Congress February 17, signed by the president, and were published March 15 in La Gaceta (akin to the Federal Register). They are now in effect. Post has not yet analyzed these changes. President Ricardo Maduro's pledge to provide the police with more resources following the 12/23/04 massacre has yet to be fulfilled. The GOH formally requested that the Government of Taiwan provide USD 1 million for vehicles and motorcycles for the police. This request is currently pending. In general, the Ministry of Public Security is under-funded and under-resourced. ¶D. (U) The Honduran police and prosecutors, and to a lesser extent the judiciary, are focused on fighting the gang problem, but they have had mixed results. All three institutions lack resources, personnel, and are subject to corruption and political influence. A sense of progress in the "war on gangs" dissipated in the wake of the 12/23/04 bus massacre. ¶E. (SBU) DEA/Tegucigalpa has not seen inter-regional cells aligned under particular gang affiliations operating across borders. RSO notes that gangs have in the past coordinated safe passage to other countries when they were wanted by local law enforcement in order to seek refuge in another country. The best example is that one of the suspected leaders of the 12/23/04 bus massacre fled to the U.S. to attempt to hide amongst MS-13 members in Los Angeles. This gang member was assisted by alien smugglers and other gang members to make his way to the U.S. border. Only through coordination between the Embassy and U.S. law enforcement was this person apprehended in Texas. It is also believed that gang members in the U.S. will send money back to Central America to help fund various activities or to help pay legal fees for a detained gang member. ¶F. (U) Post has no further updates on these aspects at present. Palmer