Five suspected members of the 18th Street Gang and Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) were captured in Tegucigalpa and surrounding areas, during a series of operations carried out by Honduran authorities as part of actions against the criminal structures operating in the country.
The arrests were carried out by the Anti-Extortion and Terrorist Associations Division (DAET), through intelligence and investigative work that allowed the identification of four alleged members of the 18th Street Gang and one suspected member of MS-13, to whom the police attribute different ranks within those organizations.
According to the police report, the suspects were identified as José Alexander Lazo Pineda, alias "El Esporty"; Cristopher Josep Godoy Oseguera, known as "Joshy"; Angery Janixa Benítez Rodríguez, alias "Lironeta"; Miriam Daniel Díaz Zúniga, known as "La Negra"; and Juventino Damel Lagos Ordoñez, alias "Damel".
The authorities stated that the five individuals would have links to the criminal structures and would be related to criminal activities, so they were handed over to the corresponding authorities to continue with the legal process.
The arrests took place in the Rivas neighborhood, the Villanueva neighborhood, and the municipality of Santa Ana, in the department of Francisco Morazán. Police teams were deployed in these areas to carry out the capture operations…
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Honduras' Shield Plan registers 262 people detained for various crimes, according to the balance released by police authorities. (Photo: National Police)
Five alleged members of the 18th Street Gang and Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) were captured in Tegucigalpa and surrounding areas during a series of operations carried out by Honduran authorities as part of actions against the criminal structures operating in the country.
The arrests were carried out by the Anti-Extortion and Terrorist Associations Division (DAET), through intelligence and investigative work that allowed the identification of four alleged members of the 18th Street Gang and one alleged member of MS-13, whom the police attribute different ranks within those organizations.
According to the police report, the suspects were identified as José Alexander Lazo Pineda, alias "El Esporty"; Cristopher Josep Godoy Oseguera, known as "Joshy"; Angery Janixa Benítez Rodríguez, alias "Lironeta"; Miriam Daniel Díaz Zúniga, known as "La Negra"; and Juventino Damel Lagos Ordoñez, alias "Damel."
The authorities stated that the five individuals would have links to the criminal structures and would be related to criminal activities, for which they were handed over to the corresponding authorities to continue with the legal process.
José Alexander Lazo Pineda, alias "El Esporty," was identified by the authorities as an alleged member of the 18th Street Gang with the rank of "Homie." (Photo: National Police)
The arrests took place in the Rivas neighborhood, the Villanueva neighborhood, and the municipality of Santa Ana, in the department of Francisco Morazán. Police teams were deployed in these areas to carry out the capture operations.
According to the report, the detainees are being investigated on suspicion of being responsible for the crime of terrorist associations, although the authorities also framed the results within a broader offensive against organizations linked to crimes such as extortion and murder.
One of the aspects highlighted in the operation was the identification of the alleged ranks that the five suspects would hold within the gangs. In the case of the 18th Street Gang, José Alexander Lazo Pineda, alias "El Esporty," and Cristopher Josep Godoy Oseguera, known as "Joshy," were identified with the rank of "Homie."
Five alleged members of the 18th Street Gang and MS-13 were captured during operations carried out in Tegucigalpa and surrounding areas. (Photo: National Police)
For their part, Angery Janixa Benítez Rodríguez, alias "Lironeta," and Miriam Daniel Díaz Zúniga, known as "La Negra," would hold the rank of "Hongra," according to the classification included in the police report.
The fifth detainee, Juventino Damel Lagos Ordoñez, alias "Damel," was identified as an alleged member of MS-13, and the authorities attributed to him the rank of "Traca."
The five arrests in Tegucigalpa are part of a series of police actions carried out in different regions of Honduran territory under Honduras' Shield Plan and the operation called "70 Days of War," directed against organized crime structures.
In the balance of the last few hours, the police also reported eight arrests in areas of Tegucigalpa, Cortés, La Ceiba, Comayagua, and La Paz.
Cristopher Josep Godoy Oseguera, known as "Joshy," is among the detainees and would also hold the rank of "Homie." (Photo: National Police)
Among these individuals are six alleged members of MS-13, one of the 18th Street Gang, and another person against whom an arrest warrant was executed for the alleged crime of abuse of authority.
Overall, the police reports counted at least 38 people captured during the recent actions against criminal structures, for their alleged participation in crimes such as terrorist associations, murder, and other serious acts.
The results add to the accumulated statistics of Honduras' Shield Plan, which as of the balance released by the authorities registers 262 people detained. Of that total, 156 correspond to investigations for the crime of terrorist associations and another 11 are related to extortion cases.
The figures also include the seizure of 43 firearms and the confiscation of 122.62 kilograms of drugs.
As for the distribution of detainees linked to terrorist associations, the official records identify 76 alleged members of Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), 51 of the 18th Street Gang, and 29 of the so-called Devil's Cartel.