Central America

Brother of former honduran president arrested in $1.7 million COMIXMUL corruption case

Officials from the Public Ministry (Prosecutor’s Office) of Honduras, in coordination with the Military Police of Public Order and other institutions, arrested at least nine people on Friday, including a brother of former President Juan Orlando Hernández, for alleged corruption.

According to a statement from the Prosecutor’s Office, seven raids were carried out in the departments of Francisco Morazán and Comayagua in central Honduras, targeting a network composed of executives, employees, and private law firms that allegedly misappropriated large sums of money from the Cooperativa Mixta de Mujeres Unidas Limitada (COMIXMUL) several years ago.

The Prosecutor’s Office added that sources had “presented a third line of investigation showing the misappropriation of cooperative funds through the signing of fake professional service contracts, supposedly on behalf of the cooperative, amounting to over 47 million lempiras ($1.7 million).”

The arrested include Amílcar Hernández, the brother of former President Hernández, along with eight others, out of 22 individuals implicated in the case, including executives of the cooperative. The former president is currently serving a 45-year prison sentence in the United States for drug trafficking.

According to the complaint, Amílcar Hernández, a lawyer, along with other legal professionals, provided professional services that resulted in fraudulent actions, in collusion with cooperative executives and employees.

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The Prosecutor’s Office stated that it had identified a serious misappropriation of more than 37 million lempiras ($1.4 million) by private law firms, and that this irregular scheme has caused millions in losses for COMIXMUL since 2015.

Friday’s operation also included the seizure of three condominiums, two companies, and two vehicles, following charges for money laundering and aggravated continued embezzlement, among other offenses, against the twenty people linked to the case.

Previously, in March 2017, the Prosecutor’s Office arrested six former cooperative executives, who were later convicted of money laundering and financial crimes, and seized 51 properties, movable assets, and four companiesacross Tegucigalpa, Siguatepeque, Choluteca, and Valle.

Amílcar Hernández and the other detainees were presented before a judge in Tegucigalpa, with the hearing continuing on Saturday, according to a Prosecutor’s Office source.

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Central America

Guatemala President Says Starlink Terminal Found Inside Prison

Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo revealed on Tuesday that a Starlink terminal was discovered inside a prison in the country, highlighting corruption and the illegal introduction of advanced communication technology into the penitentiary system.

Arévalo did not specify which prison the device was found in but stressed that Starlink’s ability to connect directly to low-orbit satellites makes it particularly difficult to disrupt, posing a serious security risk.

The disclosure was made during a press conference attended by Interior Minister Marco Antonio Villeda and Defense Minister Henry Sáenz.

On January 6, specialized units of Guatemala’s National Civil Police (PNC), members of the Army and prison security personnel carried out Operation Sentinel at the Renovación 1 Maximum Security Prison for Men, located in Escuintla. According to the Interior Ministry, the operation aimed to reduce criminal activity, prevent illicit acts and stop the trafficking of prohibited items inside the prison.

During the operation, authorities also dismantled businesses operating near several prisons after detecting routers that were allegedly used to redirect internet signals into penitentiary facilities, according to local outlet Emisoras Unidas.

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Tensions escalated further over the weekend of January 17 and 18, when inmates affiliated with gangs staged riots in three prisons. During the unrest, they took prison guards and a psychologist hostage, demanding extra-large beds, air conditioning, transfers to other facilities and access to the internet.

Central America

Guatemala Police Arrest Prison Guard Caught in the Act of Extortion

Guatemala’s National Civil Police (PNC) arrested a suspected extortionist in the act during an operation carried out in the department of Quiché, authorities reported.

According to the police report, the arrest took place in Zone 1 of Santa Cruz del Quiché after officers responded to a citizen complaint. Agents from Precinct 71 identified the suspect as Encarnación “N”, 41, who was serving as a guard in the Guatemalan Penitentiary System.

The suspect was caught while attempting to collect a package simulating an extortion payment totaling 25,000 quetzales. Police intervened at the precise moment the money was being handed over, allowing authorities to document the crime in flagrante delicto.

Following the operation, the detainee was placed at the disposal of the competent courts to face criminal proceedings.

The PNC emphasized that such operations aim to dismantle criminal structures involved in extortion, regardless of whether those implicated are linked to state institutions, and urged the public to continue reporting these crimes through confidential channels.

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Central America

Honduras swears in conservative president Asfura after disputed election

Conservative politician Nasry Asfura assumed the presidency of Honduras on Tuesday with an agenda closely aligned with the United States, a shift that could strain the country’s relationship with China as he seeks to confront the economic and security challenges facing the poorest and most violent nation in Central America.

Asfura’s rise to power, backed by U.S. President Donald Trump, marks the end of four years of left-wing rule and secures Trump another regional ally amid the advance of conservative governments in Chile, Bolivia, Peru, and Argentina.

The 67-year-old former mayor and construction businessman was sworn in during an austere ceremony at the National Congress, following a tightly contested election marred by opposition allegations of fraud and Trump’s threat to cut U.S. aid if his preferred candidate did not prevail.

Grateful for Washington’s support, Asfura—who is of Palestinian descent—traveled to the United States to meet with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, before visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“We need to strengthen relations with our most important trading partner,” Asfura said after being declared the winner of the November 30 election by a narrow margin, following a tense vote count that lasted just over three weeks.