James Bosworth
Several civilian government officials interviewed had particular praise for the Honduran Navy for their assistance in transporting and providing security for police and Fiscalía investigators. They said the Navy’s base in the Mosquitia region is the only permanent government presence and has an impact in deterring trafficking by both sea and air in that area.96 The Navy captures go-fast boats at sea and on rivers. It also participates in the destruction of clandestine runways in the region.
Regional Cooperation Regionally, the government of Honduras is increasingly working with the governments of Guatemala and El Salvador to coordinate counterdrug and counter-gang efforts. Information sharing has resumed to pre-coup levels. The countries have also discussed coordinating their anti-gang legislation to parallel El Salvador’s recently passed bill that criminalizes gang membership and increases punishment for gang activity.97 The attorneys general in each country also want to unify investigations to avoid situations in which gang members commit crimes in one country and flee to another. In mid-2010, President Mauricio Funes of El Salvador called an emergency meeting of the Central American Integration System (SICA) to address the issue of organized crime. The move by El Salvador came after a bus burning by gangs in El Salvador killed over a dozen passengers, an act that Funes called “terrorism.”98 President Laura Chinchilla of Costa Rica has also been vocal in asking the United States to create and fund a separate Central American counter-drug strategy. However, it’s worth noting that efforts to coordinate counter-gang efforts have been on the table in Central America for several years and have had limited effect. For example, a meeting between SICA members and the United States in July 2007 produced a similar set of recommendations and agreements about combating organized crime, drug trafficking, and illicit arms smuggling. President Lobo attended the 2010 meeting as Honduras was reincorporated into SICA at the same event.99 While it was not stated publicly, it appears coordination on fighting organized crime was an important reason for the Guatemalan and Salvadoran governments, both | 92 |