Drug dealers in every corner: how organized crime took over Honduras
For more than three decades, drug traffickers have left an indelible mark on Honduras. From north to south, from east to west, they have taken over the country, infiltrating institutions and deciding the political course. This is the chronicle of a country trapped in the web of crime.
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Since the early 1990s, drug traffickers and their organizations have become the real power in Honduras.
With weak and corrupt institutions, cartels grew, influencing key decisions in the country, from municipal to presidential elections.
Corruption facilitated their operations, and as their power expanded, the country lost control of its own destiny.
Los Valle Cartel: the owners of the West
The Valles settled in late 1992 and expanded into the western corridor of Honduras .
From Copán to the borders with Guatemala , the cartel marked its territory and created routes from La Entrada to El Poy and Agua Caliente .
They used helicopters and armored vehicles, established a traffic system that included control of prosecutors, judges and police, and also financed political campaigns.
The Valle family, with direct influence in Florida, Copán, shaped the local power structure.
Don H: violence and international alliances
Hector Emilio Fernandez , known as Don H , transformed drug trafficking into a violent and well-structured operation.
Since 1998, it has established routes linking Honduras with Guatemala , and its alliances with Mexican and Colombian cartels have strengthened its influence.
With a brutal strategy, Don H penetrated police and military forces, ensuring that his shipments reached their destination and supported political campaigns, making it clear that he not only controlled the drugs, but the territory and its institutions.
The Cachiros: the masters of the Atlantic
Beginning as humble cattle ranchers, Los Cachiros dominated the Atlantic region. With their influence in Olancho, Colón and Atlántida , they controlled trafficking from Colombia , and through fear and corruption, they extended their power until they received police and military protection.
Devis Leonel Rivera Maradiaga ‘s statement in New York revealed the Honduran government’s collaboration in his trafficking activities, evidencing the extent of its influence.
Bobadilla Mountains: a family empire
The Montes Bobadilla family settled in Colón , from where they connected with La Mosquitia , receiving shipments by air and sea.
With the complicity of his partner, Arnulfo Fagot, the cartel consolidated its dominance in Gracias a Dios , operating on maritime and air routes and facilitating shipments for other drug traffickers.
His network demonstrated how organized crime can penetrate even the most remote areas and exert total control in a country without effective policing.
El Negro Lobo: Drug routes in the Caribbean
With connections in the government and secured routes from San Andrés, Colombia, El Negro Lobo and his partner Juving Alexander Suazo operated in the Bay Islands , Gracias a Dios and Atlántida.
Since 2000, the cartel has established a maritime fleet to transport drugs, consolidated control of its territories and facilitated a constant flow of shipments to the north.
Cartel AA: a political empire in Copán
From El Paraíso, Copán, Alexander Ardón, alias Chande, established trafficking routes and a political empire.
Its control extended to the southern part of the country, and its influence reached national politics, financing campaigns for mayors, deputies and even presidents.
Chande changed the landscape of El Paraíso and became a figure of authority, with a fleet of helicopters and small planes that showed his absolute dominance.
The Red: independence and expansion
By 2008, Victor Hugo Diaz Morales, “El Rojo” had already consolidated his power in Copán and Lempira , collaborating with Guatemalan drug lords and organizing operations.
The cartel’s independence showed how, even at a local level, drug trafficking finds ways to adapt and expand, organizing parties and maintaining close relations with the police, evidencing a network that transcends borders.
Atlantic Cartel: Organized crime and treason
Under the leadership of Wilter Blanco Ruiz , the Atlantic Cartel connected military, police and politicians.
His influence on Columbus, the Bay Islands and Atlantis was so strong that the structured organization was considered untouchable.
Blanco even orchestrated the murder of General Julián Arístides González , with other drug traffickers, which sent a clear message: drug trafficking in Honduras was not just a business, it was a network that silenced those who stood up to it.
The Western Cartel: poppy production
In recent years, the Western Cartel has not only trafficked drugs, but has also begun experimenting with poppy cultivation.
This cartel, with members such as Juan Antonio Hernández , collapsed the political system of the West.
In addition, it penetrated every institution and extended its networks to the elections of high-ranking officials, sealing absolute control in this region.
The presence of drug trafficking in Honduras is not limited to one group or region. Cartels are intertwined in the country’s structures, affecting the lives of its citizens and transforming politics and security in Honduras.
From the West to the Atlantic coast, drug traffickers have created a system that allows them to move and operate with impunity.
This is the story of a country plagued by drug traffickers, of a territory where crime took control, displaced the State and put the sovereignty of Honduras in jeopardy.