[2][3] One of four children, Joya enrolled in military academy at 14, but was expelled "when a teacher caught him cheating on an exam.
[4] Billy Joya was one of at least 18 members of the death squad Intelligence Battalion 3-16 who trained at the School of the Americas in the United States.
[5][6][7] Joya fled legal proceedings in Honduras regarding allegations of torture and forced disappearances carried out by Battalion 3-16, and sought political asylum in Spain, which was rejected.
In August 1998 a claim was filed against Joya in Spain requesting his detention, asserting universal jurisdiction under the Convention Against Torture.
"[9] In 1996 Joya told the victims of Battalion 3-16, "I ask pardon for having contributed to that history of pain and suffering that you experienced.