Extraditable Honduran dies in prison before being handed over to U.S. justice

Héctor Vicente Paguada was found dead in one of the bathrooms of the Támara penitentiary, where he was being held in custody following his capture in Colón. (Photo: Attorney General's Office)Héctor Vicente Paguada, a Honduran sought for extradition for the murder of two women in Texas, United States, was found dead this Tuesday in one of the bathrooms of the Támara penitentiary, in Francisco Morazán, where he was being held in the custody of penitentiary authorities while the process related to his handover to U.S. justice was underway. The discovery was reported by the director of the National Penitentiary Institute (INP), Walter Lacayo, who indicated that he received the information about what happened at approximately 3:20 in the afternoon. Paguada had recently entered the Honduran prison system, after being captured last Saturday in the community of Sabá, in the department of Colón, during an operation carried out by national authorities. His detention took place after he was identified by U.S. authorities as a suspect in a double homicide that occurred in Texas. The case had gained prominence because the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) kept him among its most wanted persons and was offering a reward of 50,000 dollars for information that would help establish his whereabouts and facilitate his location. Paguada's death occurred before his extradition to the United States could be carried out, a country that was claiming him to answer to justice for the acts attributed to him. The victims of the double murder that occurred in Texas in January 2024 were, according to the investigations, Paguada's romantic partner and his mother-in-law. (Photo: Courtesy)«According to what I am told, he hanged himself. He hanged himself, went into the bathroom, wasn't coming out, they checked, and he was there hanged,» Lacayo declared during an interview. The official detailed that the Honduran was in the diagnostic module, an area intended to initially house people who enter penitentiary centers. Lacayo also noted that other citizens required in extradition have remained in that same module and explained that penitentiary authorities apply stricter security measures when it comes to people considered to be of higher dangerousness. The initial report points to a possible suicide by hanging, but that version must be contrasted with the investigative proceedings and the results of the forensic procedures. After the discovery, the body was transferred to Forensic Medicine, where the corresponding procedures will be carried out. The information provided indicates that family members must complete the necessary procedures to claim the remains. The forensic intervention is part of the proceedings to document the death and provide elements that help clarify the circumstances in which it occurred. Meanwhile, the authorities will have to determine whether the preliminary hypothesis communicated by the director of the prison system is confirmed. The Honduran was sought in extradition for his alleged responsibility in the murder of two women in Texas, United States. (Photo: Courtesy)The case also once again draws attention to the custody conditions of people who enter penitentiary centers, especially when they face high-profile judicial processes or extradition requests. So far, no results of an investigation have been disclosed that would establish whether there were failures in the surveillance controls or any other circumstance related to the event. The extradition request against Paguada was related to the murder of two women that occurred in January 2024 in Texas. According to U.S. investigations, the victims were his romantic partner and his mother-in-law. Authorities also indicated that the crime would have occurred in the presence of a five-year-old minor, an element that is part of the known background on the case. Paguada was identified as allegedly responsible for both homicides and was to face the corresponding judicial process in the United States.