“Morogris” for Borderland Beat
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| The Gulf Cartel’s (Cartel del Golfo) center of operation in Honduras is in the Department of Choluteca, pictured above (image credit: TUBS) |
On Monday, the Public Ministry of Honduras announced that the Special Prosecutor’s Office against Organized Crime (Fessco) conducted operations to seize assets from the Gulf Cartel, which has operations in the southern part of Honduras.
According to a press release, the Gulf Cartel (Cártel del Golfo – CDG) is involved in drug trafficking and other organized crime activities in the country, primarily operating in the department of Choluteca and municipality of El Triunfo.
These operations were carried out under the direction of the Section Against the Crime of Asset Laundering and Asset Forfeiture (SCDLAPD) in coordination with the Police Department for Anti-Maras and Gangs Against Organized Crime (Dipampco).
The activities focused on the seizure of assets considered to be of illegal origin, encompassing 51 assets, including 16 real estate properties, 27 vehicles, and eight commercial companies. The investigations revealed a connection between the operations in Triunfo and Labrador in 2018 by Fescco, the Directorate for the Fight against Drug Trafficking (DLCN), and the National Anti-drug Police Directorate (DNPA).
In April 2021, several cartel leaders and members operating in the southern zone of Honduras and in the Gulf of Fonseca were convicted of drug trafficking.
Among those found guilty were Dimas Arturo Castillo Velásquez, José Adán Castillo Velásquez, José Adán Castillo Escalante, Francisco Javier Castillo Velásquez, Edith Oneida Fúnez, Wendy Carmelina Álvarez, Consuelo Silva Soriano, Abigail López Hernández, and Henrry Geovany Ríos Lagos.
The investigations conducted by the Public Ministry revealed that the Castillo Velasquez brothers mentioned earlier continued to lead and coordinate cocaine transactions from prison. They coordinated the smuggling operations from Honduras through Nicaragua, using the borders of the southern zone as their smuggling points.