Traffickers exploit victims within their own homes or communities, including sometimes their own family members or friends. We have also confirmed reports of armed robbers traveling in private cars targeting pedestrians on isolated streets. The U.S. Embassy estimates at least 30,000 U.S. citizens reside in Honduras. Always carry a mobile phone in case of emergency. Assaults in these areas may be based on tips from sources at airport arrival areas, so visitors are strongly urged to exercise caution in discussing travel plans in public. As a result of this study, UN Women will be organizing trainings for media outlets on objective and respectful journalism in these types of subjects. The Honduran government conducts occasional joint police/military patrols in major cities in an effort to reduce crime. Cruise ship passengers should take safety precautions, avoid unfamiliar areas, and book only with reputable tour companies during their stopover in Honduras. If you are not sure about your visa status, visit www.doyouneedvisa.com which will let you know whether or not you need visa based on your nationality and the country you want to visit. These areas are well known for narcotics smuggling and violence. UNODC collects data on crime and the operation of criminal justice systems in order to make policy-relevant information and analysis available in a timely manner to the international community. There is no evidence suggesting criminals specifically target U.S. citizens, but foreigners have been targeted for crime due to their perceived wealth. UN teams are now better enabled to support countries to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. the Copan Mayan ruins and Roatn). Overall corruption helped facilitate trafficking crimes. Authorities identified five of the victims through calls to government hotlines, and 16 were identified in Mexico or Guatemala and repatriated to Honduras. According to InSight Crime, the crime rate has decreased by 26%, which is what the Honduran government is aiming to work on if they expect more visitors per year. The U.S. Embassy strongly discourages intercity car and bus travel after dark. Avoid using Collectivos (white sedan taxis with a sticker on the windshield denoting its established route), Roleteros (private white sedan taxis with no established routes), and Rapiditos (small buses that pick up multiple riders). Although Honduras has made some progress, many perceive the property registration system as unreliable and a constraint on investment, particularly in the Bay Islands. You are responsible for ensuring that you meet and comply with foreign entry requirements, health requirements and that you possess the appropriate travel documents. If I did, I would get beaten up, explained a survivor of gender-based violencewho spoke anonymously with us to protect her safetyduring a visit of UN authorities to a safe house. The state of emergency, in place since Dec. 6 in 165 areas of Honduras' largest two cities, Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula, has been expanded to 235 of the country's 298 municipalities, the . The UN takes all reports of possible wrongdoing seriously. Animals and people wander onto the roads. In accordance with the governments intersectoral protocol on victim protection, CICESCT coordinated with relevant government institutions and NGOs to provide additional services to victims, including mental health counseling, legal services, medical care, lodging, food, family reintegration, and repatriation. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), through the Spotlight Initiative and in partnership with civil society organizations, launched the "The Other Pandemic" campaign in order to activate a social movement to address and prevent gender-based violence. Indigenous and ethnic minority communities are frequently located in rural areas, which enjoy lower levels of criminal activity. Download the State Departments Crime Victims Assistance brochure. Most demonstrations were concentrated in or around city centers, public buildings, and other public areas. Since 2010, nine U.S. citizens have been reported as victims of rape or sexual assault in Honduras, signaling an increasing trend in these types of crimes. Honduras requires proof of Yellow Fever immunization if coming from another country endemic with Yellow Fever. Drug trafficking and gang activity, which includes local micro-trafficking of narcotics and extortion, are the main causes of violent crime in Honduras. Civil unrest in Tegucigalpa and other parts of Honduras remains a constant challenge. The Embassy cannot secure the release or act as legal representation for any U.S. citizen. Three U.S. citizens were reported murdered in Honduras between January and September 2013. drivers licenses, vehicle registration). As reported over the past five years, human traffickers exploit domestic and foreign victims in Honduras, and traffickers exploit victims from Honduras abroad. Kidnappings declined by 82% since 2013, from 92 in 2013 to 14 in 2018, and 12 in 2019. Visitors can send general inquiries to the communications team. Crime Information for Tourists in Honduras Crime is widespread in Honduras and requires a high degree of caution by U.S. visitors and residents alike. However, Honduran law enforcement authorities ability to prevent, respond to, and investigate criminal incidents and prosecute criminals is limited. Review OSACs reports, The Overseas Travelers Guide to ATM Skimmers & Fraud and Taking Credit. Scuba Certification; Private Scuba Lessons; Scuba Refresher for Certified Divers; Try Scuba Diving; Enriched Air Diver (Nitrox) The location and timing of criminal activity are unpredictable. Level of crime: 66.67: High: Crime increasing in the past 3 years: 78.57: . UNODC works on the development of standards for national crime and criminal justice information systems and for the conduct of victimization surveys. Backlinks from other websites and blogs are the lifeblood of our site and are our primary source of new traffic. Ocean via the Gulf of Fonseca in the Caribbean and access to the local police and property crime 1. Although the trend has decreased as of 2014, Latest News Profile Criminal Actors Investigations News Latest News Fire Department operations: +504-2231-1667. CICESCT reported using online training platforms to educate stakeholders on the impact of pandemic-related restrictions on trafficking trends and how to adapt. Institutionalize training for anti-trafficking police and prosecutorial units, judges, and CICESCTs immediate response team. Criminals expanded the use of social network platforms to recruit victims, often with false promises of employment, and continued to target vulnerable populations. Major cities connect via an inconsistently maintained, two-lane system of paved roads, with many unpaved secondary roads. As a result, criminals operate with a high degree of impunity. The U.S. Department of State has assessed Tegucigalpa as being a LOW-threat location for terrorism directed at or affecting official U.S. government interests. Caption: Ana Cruz of Asociacin Calidad de Vida, an anti-violence organization. Yes, despite all the historical crime and violence, which don't affect tourists, El Salvador is safe to visit in 2023. The San Pedro Sula area has seen armed robberies against tourist vans, minibuses, and cars traveling from the airport to area hotels. Detained U.S. citizens should insist on speaking to U.S. Embassy representatives as soon as possible. In November 2019, Tegucigalpa authorities began developing a luxury housing project in the La Tigra bioreserve, just outside of the city. 2.2. Safety in El Salvador. and the scope of organized crime in Honduras. Avoid traveling at night and always drive with doors locked and windows rolled up to deter potential robberies at traffic lights and on congested downtown streets. However, the government did not meet the minimum standards in several key areas. Increase efforts to identify victims, including among particularly vulnerable populations such as adult migrants, and provide assistance to all victims, including forced labor victims. Passengers on public buses have been the victims of robbery at roadblocks and bus stops, during daytime and nighttime hours. Fire Department Ambulance is fully equipped with emergency medical supplies and medical staff. Violent crime is a serious issue in the entire country, with crimes such as kidnappings, rape, assaults, and murders. Crisis in Honduras: Ongoing violence and climate shocks Here are three reasons the International Rescue Committee's Emergency Watchlist ranks Honduras among 20 countries most at risk of worsening humanitarian crisis in 2022. Law enforcement, immigration, and social service providers had written procedures for identifying and assisting victims, including screening for indicators of trafficking among vulnerable populations and referring potential victims to CICESCTs immediate response team. About Us; Staff; Camps; Scuba. OSAC encourages travelers to use this report to gain baseline knowledge of security conditions in Honduras. La Ceiba, Trujillo) and major hotels; other tourist installations have increased private and police security. Compare Roatan with: . Since 2010, there have been approximately 60 murders of U.S. citizens reported in Honduras. Roatn and the Bay Islands are geographically separate from the mainland and experience lower crime rates even when compared with other Caribbean islands. Many of these U.S. citizens are church and humanitarian aid volunteers working throughout the country, including in gang-controlled neighborhoods. There are an estimated 7,000-10,000 gang members in a country with an approximate population of ten million people. Airlines estimate that approximately 250,000 U.S. citizens flew into Tegucigalpa, San Pedro Sula, or Roatn in 2019. Honduras has a high homicide rate, with a murder rate of 36 people per 100,000 in 2020. According to the Honduran Commission for Human Rights (Conadeh), 75 people died in attacks against the public transport service in Honduras between January and July 2019. Exercise extreme caution driving on isolated stretches of road and passing other vehicles on mountainous curves. The U.S. Department of State has assessed Tegucigalpa as being a CRITICAL-threat location for crime directed at or affecting official U.S. government interests. It is also recommended that drivers vary their routes and schedules so as to not create a predictable routine. Honduras crime rate & statistics for 2018 was 38.93, a 5.01% decline from 2017. Is Honduras Safe to Travel Alone Traveling solo is becoming more popular and within Latin America, more people including myself have set out to travel alone. 4-Minute Listen Playlist Download Transcript NPR's Audie Cornish speaks with veteran journalist Carlos Dada, founder of El Faro newspaper, about his latest reporting from Honduras. These tensions have resulted in intense protests and violence. Although Copan, Roatan/Bay Islands, and other tourist destinations have a lower crime rate than other parts of the country, thefts, break-ins, assaults, and murders do occur. Weapons abound in Honduras, and armed street robberies are especially common, with criminals taking advantage of relatively isolated victims to steal their valuables. U.S. citizens should exercise caution while sailing or mooring in Honduran waters. Local law allows the police to detain someone for up to 24 hours for administrative processing. This is a common practice for most automobile accidents where personal injury occurs, and for cases in which someone is accused of a criminal act. The law on safe houses needs to be passed! The 18th Street and MS-13 (Mara Salvatrucha) gangs are the most active and powerful. During 2019, multiple vehicles belonging to U.S. and Honduran employees of the U.S. Embassy were burglarized and/or vandalized on side streets around the Embassy compound. It is not only women who must strengthen a social movement that contributes to breaking gender stereotype paradigms and cycles of sexism that lead to gender-based violence. Most of these attacks involved gang members demanding extortion payments. The last two years have shone an unflattering light . The UNSDG guides, supports, tracks and oversees the coordination of development operations in 162 countries and territories. Caption: Honduras has the highest femicide rates in Latin America. InSight Crime's 2022 Homicide Round-Up covers more countries than ever before, with a major expansion into nations of the Caribbean. Resolution of disputes in court often takes years. The campaign includes a docuseries in which the testimonies of women survivors, like Rosa Mara, are central to raise awareness among the Honduran population on zero tolerance of all forms ofviolenceagainstwomenand girls. Criminal organizations, including gangs, exploit girls in sex trafficking, force children into street begging, and coerce and threaten children and young adults to transport weapons, sell drugs, commit extortion, or serve as lookouts; this occurred primarily in urban areas, but one NGO reported an increase in gang activity in rural areas. There is no information to suggest that criminals specifically target U.S. citizens or foreigners. Traffic signs, even on major highways, are often inadequate; streets are often unmarked even in major cities. The government did not provide an update on its investigation of alleged sexual exploitation of a female prisoner in a correctional facility from the previous year. The rainy season usually runs May-November. DOS Trafficking in Persons Report - 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019. CICESCT and the anti-trafficking prosecution unit each operated trafficking-specific hotlines that functioned throughout the pandemic. Counterfeit U.S. currency is also common. Major cities (e.g. According to the Peruvian National Police ( PNP ), crime increased 15% in 2021. However, with respect to sex trafficking, these penalties were not commensurate with those prescribed for other serious crimes, such as rape. Review OSACs report, Surviving a Protest. This resulted in multiple protests by environmentalist groups claiming the project is illegal due to the damage to the bioreserve and exacerbating the citys already dire water shortage. Honduras 2020 OSAC Crime & Safety Report. Respect for the Integrity of the Person, Including Freedom from: a. DOS: Northern Triangle Country Conditions: Ranking the Highest and Lowest Areas of Reported, Homicides, Disappearances, and Extortion - May 2019. Honduras is a destination for child sex tourists from Canada and the United States. My partner did not like me to go out, not even to church. The government cooperated with the Governments of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Mexico to investigate trafficking cases and detain suspects. U.S. citizens in Honduras on U.S. government orders are only allowed to visit the Basilica of Suyapa with an organized tour group that provides armed security for the group. The events targeted members of at-risk groupsincluding children and students, individuals with disabilities, and indigenous personsas well as potential first responders and officials from key sectors such as education and tourism. "I am a survivor of domestic violence and I am lucky to be alive," said Rosa Maria Perez at the launch of the campaign. According to the respected nonpartisan group Honduran Social Forum on External Debt, corruption cost Honduras about $10.3 billion between 2014 and 2018, the equivalent of 10% to 12.5% of the . Most cruise line passengers experience no problems, but there have been reports of associated armed robbery and carjacking. This report of the Central America Monitor aims to define a baseline for the indicators related to reducing violence and combatting organized crime in Honduras. honduras crime and safety report 2022. Emergency services, even in Tegucigalpa, generally are basic. Civil society continues to advocate for this law to be passed and the United Nations has joined in these efforts. Courts issued prison sentences ranging from three to 13 years for convicted adult traffickers and ordered some of them to pay monetary fines to the government. "Indeed, women are the affected ones, but as men, we have a greater opportunity to influence other men and make them reflect on how we impact our sisters, friends and colleagues with our behaviour. Intentional homicide does not include all intentional killing; the difference is usually in the organization of the killing. Learn about employment opportunities across the UNSDG. The Mexico 2017 Crime and Safety Report for Mexico City by the US Department of State's Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) indicates that crimes such as armed robberies, kidnappings, car thefts, credit card fraud and residential theft are "daily concerns" (US 24 Feb. 2017). Some would-be muggers and gang members keep to a daily schedule, riding city buses from one stop to the next, committing criminal acts with impunity along the way. Hondurans continue to be affected by MS-13 and Calle 18 gang activity in cities such as Tegucigalpa, Choloma, La Ceiba, Tela, and San Pedro Sula. The governments disaggregated victim data included some victims of related crimes such as child pornography; all identified victims were Honduran citizens and included 43 children and 24 adults, 56 females and 10 males, and one LGBTQI+ individual. Develop and implement standardized procedures for victim identification and referral, including screening for indicators of forced criminal activity among children involved in gang-related crimes. Gracias a Dios is a remote location where narcotics trafficking is frequent, infrastructure is weak, government services are limited, and police/military presence is scarce. Child victims could receive care from government or NGO shelters, while women had the option of receiving assistance from NGO shelters; there were no specialized shelters for trafficking victims and no shelters that accepted men. Country Summary: Violent crime, such as homicide and armed robbery, is common. This is the second consecutive year that the murder rate falls below 40 per 100,000 population since 2014, which. Crime Information for Tourists in Ecuador Crime is a severe problem in Ecuador. Honduran regulations prohibited charging recruitment fees to workers, but the government did not report enforcement of these regulations in 2020. Honduras has a long history of sustaining damage due to powerful tropical storms and hurricanes. El Salvador used to have a high crime rate, but that is not the case anymore. The government did not make efforts to reduce the demand for commercial sex acts. Cruise lines and port agencies offer approved tour companies offering packages. Cable signal theft and counterfeit products are the most prevalent violations of intellectual property rights in Honduras. Increase investigations, prosecutions, and convictions of suspected traffickers, including complicit officials and forced labor crimes. Copyright 2023 United Nations Sustainable Development Group. Avoid driving at night. Violent transnational criminal organizations are also involved in narcotics trafficking and other illicit commerce. Officials from several ministries conducted additional trainings and awareness-raising activities with support from NGOs and international organizations. The Basilica of Suyapa in Tegucigalpa, also known as Suyapa Church or Cathedral, is an important religious site and popular tourist destination. Honduras's prison population has doubled over the past decade, partly due to a 2013 reform that greatly expanded the use of mandatory pre-trial detention. Travelers should always drive with their doors locked and windows rolled up to avoid potential robberies at traffic lights and other places, such as congested downtown streets. Two U.S. citizens reported incidents of rape or sexual assault between January and September 2013. CICESCT sustained its efforts to provide immediate protection to victims and coordinate additional services among other stakeholders without interruption throughout the pandemic. In March 2019, the Honduran Government created the National Urban Transportation Security Force to combat extortion and other crimes perpetrated by gangs. For years, street gangs have charged protection money from bus and taxi drivers and store owners in Honduras, as in neighboring El Salvador. The government maintained a specialized anti-trafficking prosecution unit, but experts observed the unit remained understaffed and lacked sufficient resources to investigate and prosecute trafficking crimes. Police may take hours to arrive at the scene of a violent crime or may not respond at all. First responders referred potential trafficking victims to CICESCTs immediate response team, composed of two psychologists and a social worker, for immediate support. The violence is carried out by local drug trafficking groups, gangs, corrupt security forces and transnational criminal organizations mainly from Mexico and Colombia. The government maintained prosecution efforts.