National Police of Honduras
On 14 September 1888, the acting president, General Luis Bográn, issued a decree that a port police unit be formed.
[4][7] The 1963 Honduran coup d'état led by Colonel Arming Velásquez Cerrato and Oswaldo López Arellano removed President Ramón Villeda Morales from power.
It operated under the auspices of the Office of National Defense and Public Security (SDNSP) and under the authority of the director of the FFAA, who was a representative of the president.
The board members were lawyers Jorge Ponce Turcios, Francisco Cardona Argüelles, Germán Leitzelar Vidaurreta, Felipe Elvir Sierra, José Zamora Bados, and the engineer, Alfredo Landaverde.
[12] On 22 May 2012, the General Director of the Honduran National Police, Juan Carlos Bonilla Valladares, known as "El Tigre" was appointed.
[14][15] In 1997, during the presidency of Carlos Roberto Reina, the Fuerza de Seguridad Pública, FUSEP (public security force) changed to civilian governance.
On April 30, 2020, DEA Special Operations Division Special Agent in Charge Wendy Woolcock and United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York Geoffrey S. Berman charged former chief of Honduran National Police Juan Carlos Bonilla Valladares, aka “El Tigre,” in a Manhattan federal court with drug trafficking and weapons offenses involving the use and possession of machineguns and destructive devices.
[17] Woolcock claimed that during his time of the chief of police, “Juan Carlos Bonilla Valladares allegedly used his high ranking position to influence those working for him and violently protect the politically connected drug traffickers who would smuggle cocaine destined for the United States.”[17] It was revealed that Honduran law enforcement officials, as well as politicians, had been working with numerous drug traffickers in Honduras since 2003.
The main division of the force, the "Dirección Nacional de la Policía Preventiva", DNPP (preventive policing unit) had the highest expenditure at about Lps.
It enforces the legal order of transportation, transit and roads, and exercises security functions in immigration matters.
The DNIC was developed with training and instructors from Scotland Yard (UK), Federal Bureau of Investigation and Drug Enforcement Administration (US), and Mossad (Israel).
This unit utilizes regulation weapons including the 9mm calibre Glock, the Remington shotgun, and the IMI Galil rifle.
[24] On 26 July 2012, legislation was passed for the creation of the TIGRES, "Intelligence Troop and Special Security Response Groups" or "Tigers".
The TIGERS are trained for several months by instructors from the US Army Special Forces and members of the JUNGLAS unit of the Colombian National Police, with the support of the US government.
The DPI works in regional headquarters including San Pedro Sula, La Ceiba, Santa Rosa de Copán, Comayagua and Choluteca.
Crime in Honduras is related to social instability, an increase in gangs, and youth unemployment, and availability of firearms.
