Crime in Honduras

Honduran Police in a rural area.

Crime in Honduras is investigated by the Honduran Police. Honduras has the highest murder rate in the world.[1]

Crime by type

Murder

In 2012, Honduras had a murder rate of 90.4 per 100,000 population.[1] There were a total of 7,172 murders in Honduras in 2012.[1]

Illegal drug trade

Further information: Illegal drug trade in Honduras

Honduras is considered a major drug route to the US.[2] Smuggling is said to have increased after the US suspended anti-drug support following the 2009 Honduran coup d'état. Weak domestic law enforcement institutions, combined with Honduras's long coastline and relatively sparse population distribution, make Honduras a popular point of entry for drug routes travelling through Central America.[3]

Robbery

Tourists have often been robbery targets. In San Pedro Sula, armed robberies against tourist vans, minibuses and cars traveling from the airport to area hotels are not uncommon.[4]

By location

The Francisco Morazan Department is said to be one of the most violent areas in Honduras.[5] The UN Office on Drugs and Crime has called the border regions between north-west Honduras and south-west Guatemala "some of the most dangerous places in Central America".[6]

Crime dynamics

High unemployment and drug trafficking have contributed to crime rates.[7] Poverty, gangs, and low apprehension and conviction rates of criminals also impact the overall crime rate.[5]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Global Study on Homicide. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 2013.
  2. ↑ BBC, 8 December 2009, Honduras anti-drug chief shot dead by gunmen
  3. ↑ International Crisis Group. "Corridor of Violence: The Guatemala-Honduras Border". CrisisGroup.org. 4 June 2014. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
  4. ↑ "Honduras Country Specific Information". U.S. State Department Bureau of Consular Affairs. Retrieved 30 April 2012.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Honduras: Security Briefing
  6. ↑ Transnational Organized Crime in Central America and the Caribbean: A threat assessment, UNODC, September 2012, p. 37 cited in International Crisis Group, "Corridor of Violence: The Guatemala-Honduras Border". CrisisGroup.org. 4 June 2014. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
  7. ↑ "Honduras Country Specific Information". U.S. State Department Bureau of Consular Affairs. Retrieved 30 April 2012.