COMM

VOICE OVER

T/C

INTRO

Skinny: The first time I went down I was charged with murder, arms possession, carjacking…

Guy in crowd: There’s been a shoot-out…

FL: And a girl has been hit, right?

Guy in crowd: yes, a minor…

Orlin Castro: every day it’s like this here in San Pedro Sula.

00:00:04:17

TITLE CARD

This is San Pedro Sula, a city in Northwest Honduras that people are fleeing in the thousands, claiming that the perils of reaching the U.S. are worth the risk, when compared to the violence they face at home.

And this brutal violence comes at the hands of street gangs, as MS-13. 

00:00:39:10

TRUMP ARCHIVE

Where is the outcry over the savage gang MS-13 and its bloodthirsty creed: kill, rape and control?

Tonight, I am calling on Congress to finally close the deadly loopholes that have allowed MS-13, and other criminal gangs, to break into our country.

00:01:00:12

Contrary to what Trump suggests, MS-13, as well as other notorious Latino gangs, didn’t break into the United States.

Quite the opposite: they were born in US soil, and their growth came as a direct consequence of US policies.

In the late 1970s, mayor civil wars and communist revolutions against highly corrupt pro-American regimes erupted un Central America.

Fearing a shift to communism in the countries it regarded as part of its backyard, the United States got directly involved in these wars, fueling and financing elite right-wing dictators and puppet governments, while disregarding the demands of the impoverished peasants and working classes.

Known also as the “Ronald Reagan’s Wars”, these affected Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras, with the latter becoming a key base for the Reagan administration’s attacks on the liberation movements of Honduras’ neighbouring countries.

00:01:22:16

ARCHIVE: RONALD REAGAN

We have sent American military units to Honduras, to conduct an emergency readiness exercise.

Our purpose is to send a signal to the peoples of Central America about the seriousness which we view this situation.

Aside from the hundreds of thousands of deaths, the Reagan Wars also wrecked Central America’s economy, causing a mass emigration of refugees and ilegal immigrants into the US.

These refugees didn’t find temselves welcomed on arrival, particularly in cities as Los Angeles, where the vast mayority went to.

Established US gangs preyed on the newly arrived. Feeling vulnerable and subjected to constant abuse, younger immigrants opted to form their own gangs.

The Mara Salvatrucha – later known as MS-13 – was the first of these gangs. Others, as Barrio 18 - the 18th Street gang – where to follow.

After the years passed, these gangs grew, with new recruits being mainly US-born descendents of the 1980s refugees and immigrants. MS-13 and Barrio 18 began to fight amongst themselves, aside from causing havoc amongst the civilian population. Meanwhile, they gradually became more violent and brutal.

In order to get rid of the problem, since the 1990s, successive US presidents opted for deporting gang members to their so-called “countries of origin” – in most cases these were places that the gang members barely knew, as they were either born in the US or emigrated there as young children.

One country the US chose in order to dump their gang problem onto, is poverty-stricken Honduras.

Thousands of gang members have been deported to Honduras, thus triggering the worst wave of violence the country has ever witnessed.

These US-bred gang members then recruited young Hondurans, who were impressed with the newly-arrived American criminals and their exploits.

As a consequence of this, throughout the past ten years the Honduran city of San Pedro Sula has registered one of the highest murder rates in the world.

And Hondurans have been left to deal with the problem.

00:02:48:18

Man

There was a shootout, just right now.

00:05:06:13

FL

And they hit a girl, right?

00:05:07:08

Man

Yes, a minor.

00:05:08:20

In order to find out how gangs are impacting the lives of everyday Hondurans, I spent 10 days in Rivera Hernandez – the most violent neighbourhood within San Pedro Sula - Honduras’ most violent city.

My guide on the ground is Daniel Pacheco, a pastor without a congregation.

00:05:16:02

Pacheco

During Rivera Hernandez most troubled years - 2012, 2013, 2014 – only in our neighborhood we had at least 60 deaths per month, so our lwest index was of two deaths per day – only in my neighborhood.

00:05:36:09

Pacheco chose to befriend gang members in order to help forge peace.

00:05:53:00

Pacheco

We began doing the soccer games where, as a rule, each team has to have children from different neighborhoods so that they play together, right? Because if we put children from this neighborhood playing against children from this other neighborhood…

00:05:58:03

FL

There’ll be more confrontation…

00:06:10:01

Pacheco

Yes, there’d be more confrontation.

One of the craziest things that we have been able to do is to organize soccer games between the police and the gangs.

We talked to both of them and the policemen have been able to tell the gangbangers: “I am not your enemy brother. But if you shoot at us, what are we going to do?”

We now have youngsters playing at this time of the day right here, where we used to have shootings on a daily basis.

After that, people started calling me to intervene when the police or the military were committing abuses, and also when the gangs kidnapped someone or something of the sort.

00:06:11:21

FL

Right.

Pastor Pacheco has established himself as a mediator between the gangs and the police

Pacheco’s initiatives to combat violence have achieved some positive results, but the Trump administration’s threats to cut off aid to Honduras worry him.

00:06:54:04

TRUMP ARCHIVE

Honduras is doing nothing for us. Guatemala is doing nothing for us. El Salvador is doing nothing for us. And we pay them hundreds of millions of dollars a year, but we’re going to be stopping pretty soon.

00:07:04:17

Pacheco

What we have accomplished has been thanks to our work as well as to the support we have received.

The US began deporting gang members and created a problem for us, and this is recorded in our history.

They said, “let’s get rid of this problem and throw them [gang members] to the countries where they were born, from where they came.”

So a death wave began; a wave of murders, kidnappings, contract killings, extortions and all those things that came from the US. I mean, if we’re here, at risk every day, it’s because of this, because of a problem that started there [in the United States].

00:07:21:08

FL

Right.

00:08:06:05

Pacheco

So now the US are helping us because they have to consider they created this problem, they created these people [gangbangers]. They were raised in the US; they became professional criminals over there. They only came here to put in practice what they had learnt over there.

00:08:06:21

Daniel Pacheco is often called whenever violent situations arise.

One such occassion arose during our second day of filming in Rivera Hernandez.

A man was being interrogated by members of an extremely violent gang, after being accussed of workig as a snitch for a rival gang.

00:08:23:09

Don Catarino

The boys from the neighborhood have detained a man. So maybe you know the man and you can speak in his favor?

00:08:43:09

Guy

They’ve got that man there. Poor guy, he’s not young.

00:08:51:20

Pacheco

But…

00:08:58:06

Don Catarino

I don’t know if you can help with this?

But talk to them, don’t just phone…

00:09:00:09

FL

Daniel, can we go with you to film there? Or not?

00:09:12:13

Pacheco

Hold on, I’m going to make a call.

00:09:16:03

Pacheco decided to phone the gang’s leader to find out what was going on.

While he was dialing, the gang member that runs this neighborhood shows up to oversee the abduction that was taking place.

00:09:17:21

Pacheco

Hey, I was just phoning you.

00:09:31:06

For security concerns we have avoided to mention the name of the gang involved in the abduction.

01:09:34:08

FL

Let’s go where Daniel is.

Tell me: what’s going on?

01:09:54:01

Pacheco

They’ve got this man there and are interrogating him right now

01:10:01:21

FL

Just over there?

01:10:04:18

Pacheco

Yes, right where the horse cart is parked.

The gang assures that this man is a snitch from another gang.

01:10:06:03

Pacheco

Yes, right where the horse cart is parked.

The gang assures that this man is a snitch from another gang.

FL

OK, so you have spoken to one of the others…

Pacheco

Yes, I’ve talked to one of the other gang, to try to intervene so that that man doesn’t get killed.

FL

And what did he tell you?

Pacheco

I told him that I can get the man out of this neighborhood, that if they hand me their hostage I’ll move him out of here for good.

The big man with a melon colored shirt and a cap is the alleged snitch. These images are from the exact moment when he’s being taken away by gang members. 

If they were to notice we were secretly filming this abduction, it could cost us our lives.

01:10:40:03

Pacheco

[introduces FL and cameraman to gang leader while we keep camera hidden]

This is Fernando.

01:10:58:08

FL

What’s up Homie?        

Gang leader

All good.

Pacheco

This is [cameraman] Fabricio

Fabricio

Hi brother.

Pacheco

These two are suffering the San Pedro heat…

Are you going to stick around the neighborhood for a while?

Gang leader

Yes man, I’ll be around.

PTC

We tried to get a few shots from inside the car, because the car has got tainted windows so they couldn’t see us, but then one of the gang members approached the window to say hello because Dani was standing just outside, so we had to hide the camera. He didn’t see it, luckily.

The gang leader is chatting with Dani [Pacheco] right now.

01:11:12:08

FL

The homie is coming here, put down the camera, put it down…

01:11:37:07

Pacheco

Nothing can be done.

FL

Are you recording?

Fabricio (cameraman)

Yes

Pacheco

He just came to tell me that there’s nothing to do.

Guy 2

They’ve got evidence against that man

Pacheco

I don’t understand, it seems silly, as if he’s expecting my permission in order to… to…  you understand me?

FL

So he doesn’t want to proceed before telling you?

Pacheco

Yes.

And he also wants to first explain me the situation. You understand?

FL

And what did he explain you?

Pacheco

That they’ve got evidence, proof. And they are interrogating him over there and he’s confirming so.

FL

He’s confessing?

Pacheco

He’s confessing, and it seems he’s identified this guy [the homie whom Pacheco was talking to]. He’s told him “you’re the boss around here”.

By telling him that he knows that he’s the boss and that he has recognized him, this man has just sentenced himself to death.

Guy 3

No-one can stop this now.

Pacheco

No, I couldn’t do anything about it, I couldn’t and that’s what the homie just came here for, to tell me: “look Pastor, this is what we do, this is how our thing works.”

I told him: “look son, you know I defend life, I defend your life and anyone else’s too”.

But he replied: “You don’t know this man [the hostage], do you?”

I couldn’t tell him I know the man because they can present me with the proof they’ve got against this man and then I’ll end up branded a liar.

How would I end up? You understand me?

FL

Sure, sure.

Pacheco

It’s my word brother, what I’ve got is my word, so unfortunately there’s nothing more I can do.

There are just sitting beneath that tree over there.

With my mobile phone I tried to get a shot of the scene from a distance, as using the camcorder would have been too risky.

01:13:13:16

PTC

I can see them from here, but as soon as I sneaked out there they turned around and looked at me.

Pacheco said it was best if we left our cameras hidden inside the car and waited at the home of a friendly local.

01:13:40:11

Pacheco

The least one sees and the least one knows is much better for oneself.

So it’s much better for us to stay inside and, whatever has to happen out there will happen, but right now we’ve got to keep ourselves safe.

There are some things that cannot be stopped. And unfortunately this is one of those things.

01:13:48:06

PTC

We’re just waiting for the natural course of events to happen, so that we can leave, because if we leave right now it’ll be suspicious, and we’ve been pushing our luck so far, so…

01:14:13:07

After the gang members and their hostage left, we could finally leave the area.

That night, we spoke with the gang’s leader, whom Pacheco knew well.

01:14:28:20

PTC

He has told us that the person that we saw being taken away was a snitch, and that actually they have executed him. This poor guy has just been dumped naked, by a river.

That’s what we’ve been told.

01:14:38:24

Being an informant for a rival gang, is an offence that will almost certainly be punished by death.

01:14:59:06

PTC

So forensics just got to the scene, we’re waiting for them to allow us to cross this fence over here, and get to where the remains of the corpse have been dumped.

01:15:22:10

Cop 1

The District Attorney is coming; you cannot be standing there.

FL

Can we go through?

Forensic Doctor

Yes

FL

Let’s go.

There it is.

Members of the forensics team had already placed the corpse inside a plastic bag.

01:16:02:13

FL

And these other bodies?

01:17:03:07

Morgue man1

From here, from San Pedro too.

FL

From today?

Morgue man1

Yes, from today, of course.

FL

Only from one morning… and how many bodies are there?

Morgue man1

Three.

Morgue man2

Four with this one.

FL

Four including this one…

PTC

This is the fourth body they pick up this morning.

I mean, we know, because of what we were told, that this is the guy we saw yesterday, but this is the fourth body they pick up in San Pedro Sula this morning. And this is just any random Thursday morning.

01:17:24:16

The corpse of the man in the melon-colored shirt had been found by the river bed, showing clear signs of torture.

01:17:47:04

FL

Do you live close to here, ma’am?

01:17:57:18

Lady

Yes, right there.

FL

And how often do things like this take place around here?

Lady

Before this one, the corpse of a woman was found here too.

FL

How long ago was that woman found?

Lady

About four months ago.

FL

Were things even worse a few months ago?

Lady

Yes. [corpses showed up] almost weekly. But from time to time things get under control and nothing happens.

We’ve been praying to God and things have got a little bit under control.

Gangs clash on a regular basis. Sometimes these clashes occur over the control of spots where drugs are sold, or over attacks or robberies carried out in rival gang territories.

But mostly, they fight each other just because they see rival gangs as their natural enemies and, for many gang members, their purpose in life is just to eliminate as many rival gang members as possible, thus conquering the territories they control.

01:18:30:00

The kidnapping of rival gang members is common occurrence in San Pedro Sula.

The victim is then subjected to brutal torture before being executed and the bodies are either dumped, burnt or disappeared for good.

These torture sessions, as well as murders and rapes, take place inside what are known as “Mad Houses”

These are buildings that have been forcibly occupied by the gangs.

Later that day we met Pacheco again. He took us to visit an abandoned condo which a local gang had turned into a Mad House.

Pacheco

The gangs ordered the families who lived here to get out of this place.

01:19:33:18

FL

So they had to abandon their brand new condo?

Pacheco

Yes, definitely, they had to abandon it.

FL

Is this a common thing around here?

Pacheco

Very much. They are forced to leave, simple as that. No-one is going to risk staying here. And this is the reason why so many people emigrate to the United States. This is the usual problem between the US and Latin America, or Honduras in this precise case. People emigrate looking for political asylum, because of cases like this one.

FL

And these days only the pigs live here?

Pacheco

Indeed.

FL

So these are the gang’s graffiti?

Pacheco

Yes.

All sorts of things have taken place here: murders, tortures, rapes…

PTC

It’s just past midnight and we got this phone call, about the corpse of a young woman who’s been found.

This has happened just a day and half after they killed the guy, the alleged snitch.

The area has been cordoned by the police.

That’s the corpse over there, and apparently this street divides the territory between the 18^th Street gang and the MS-13. This is the border, so it’s not uncommon to find corpses here, because anyone who crosses the street from one place to another and is spotted might be killed instantly.

Because of that reason, most of the houses on this street have been abandoned, because no-one wants to live here. This is just like a war zone, because it’s the frontier. This is an apartment place, there were several flats here and they are all abandoned.

01:20:38:04

  FL

How are you?

01:21:40:06

Big guy from mortuary

Good.

FL

Second time I see you today brother.

Big guy from mortuary

Yes, I saw you down there right?

FL

Indeed.

Are you with the forensic team or with the mortuary?

Big guy from mortuary

I’m from the mortuary.

FL

From the mortuary, ok. So you guys show up whenever there’s a situation in which you can offer your services?

Big guy from mortuary

Yes, to offer mortuary services.

FL

Hi. What’s up?

I saw you guys at about 11am, somewhere around there…

Second guy from mortuary

You’ll see us at all times – wherever there’s a corpse, we’ll be there too.

FL

So you go out at any time of the day…

Second guy from mortuary

At any time of the day and at any time of the night.

FL

And is your job dangerous?

Second guy from mortuary

There have been areas where armed youngsters come to confront us.

Actually where we’re standing right now is a very rough area.

FL

This part is very “hot” because it’s the frontier, right?

Second guy from mortuary

Exactly.

PTC

So this is the second time we bump into these guys within the same 24-hour period because, apparently, running a mortuary around this area is good business.

Maybe it’s time to get out of here, because this area is far from safe.

01:22:28:20

This image of the victim was taken minutes before we arrived.

The young lady happened to be the cousin of the alleged snitch who was murdered a day before. His wife had been murdered two months earlier.

Those who perpetrated the murders clearly wanted to send a message, by wiping out a whole family of alleged informants of their rival gang.

01:22:57:14

Until recently, Rivera Hernandez recorded an average of two murders per day.

But in the past two years this has changed. Although still very far from being violence-free, this area of San Pedro Sula has seen some succesful peace initiatives being implemented in order to combat the gang culture that the US exported to Honduras.

One such initiative is a small workshop on electronics aimed at training children and young men from the neighborhood, in order to keep them away from gangs.

01:23:58:20

FL

How are you doing my friend?

Jeremias

Very good how are you?

FL

All good, all good.

The workshop is run by Jeremias Vobada, a community leader at the Flor del Campo sector of Rivera Hernandez.

01:24:01:08

Jeremias

Here we’ve got the long wire, so this is the one that goes directly into the switch. Just peel the cable and connect it.

01:24:07:24

To fund the workshop, Jeremias relies on small donations from the Latino community in Los Angeles.

01:24:11:23

FL

Could you explain us a little bit of what the workshop consists of and what’s the purpose of this training?

01:24:18:11

Jeremias

The purpose is to contribute and do our bit in service of our community.

It’s a preventive work for those who haven’t fallen into drugs, alcohol or joined gangs. So this helps them to acknowledge their capacities and put them into practice. And those who have fallen [into drugs or gangs] can get inspiration from seeing these guys.

Unfortunately, so far it’s only the few who get to the workshops. Many more opt to join the gangs, where life-expectancy rarely goes beyond 25.

01:24:56:17

Pacheco

We’re going to meet a gang member from one of the biggest structures that exists in the country.

01:25:15:11

FL

MS-13?

Pacheco

Yes, MS-13. They assure that the people who live within their territory live in peace, that they live safely because they don’t extort them or anything else. They extort big companies, industries and all of those things. But they assure they protect the neighborhoods they control.

Wait for me here, I’ll tell him to cover his face first.

FL

Ok, sure

The MS-13 leader we’re visiting is known as “The Snake”. 

He’s the gang’s second in command for the highly volatile Rivera Hernandez neighborhood.

01:26:00:01

Pacheco

You can come in now.

FL

OK.

Now a hardened gangbanger, as a teenager he fled his hometown’s brutal violence and emigrated to the US, where he led a peaceful and normal life, until the system caught up with him and sent him back to the murderous streets of Honduras.

01:26:13:21

FL

[Greets snake]

What’s this wound over here?

01:26:29:21

Snake

This is the stab wound they [Barrio 18] gave me.

They wanted to kill me, about five of them came after me, but they couldn’t get me.

I took down the first guy who shot me.

The shot wound is this other one here. The shot went through to the other side of my head and out through my ear. It went out through here…

A few months after that accident I went away to the US, I was 13 or 14 years-old. I thought they [Barrio 18] were going to kill me if I stayed here in Honduras.

01:27:00:21

Snake was one of thousands of unaccompanied minors who took the long and risky journey to attempt crossing into the US, as a way of escaping the wave of violence that the US itself had triggered in his home country.

01:27:15:07

Snake

So I went to the US with my friend. On the way my friend got kidnapped by the Zetas [drug cartel].

FL

In Mexico?

Snake

Yes, they kidnapped him because they are extortionists.

I continued towards the north, to Monterrey. I arrived in Monterrey and managed to get work with an engineer who was very kind to me. He got me papers I needed to enter the US, so we went there. I was then working in Houston with the engineer. After that I went to Los Angeles. By then I was almost 20.

FL

Did you get in touch with MS-13 in LA?

Snake

No, never ever. I’ve told you, I just went from work to home, from work to home. I never did anything wrong.

But Snake’s honest living abruptly ended when the system caught up with him and he  was deported back to Honduras.

FL

And here, in Honduras, the MS took you in?

Snake

Yes, the MS treats you like family.

FL

So, with your approval we’re OK to move around the MS-13 area?

Snake

Yes, that’s not a problem, I only need to pass on word to a friend and that’s all.

FL

And how about the area controlled by Barrio 18?

Snake

No, that’ll be too dangerous. Something could happen to you.

FL

Something like what?

Snake

Something that’ll bring on your death.

GRAPHIC: STATISTICS. HONDURAS’ MURDER RATE FOR THE PAST TEN YEARS

2007 – 47.6

2008 – 57.8

2009 – 67

2010 – 77.5

2011 – 86.5

2012 – 85.5

2013 – 77.45

2014 – 69.86

2015 – 60.02

2016 – 59.05

2017 – 41.61

*number of homicides per 100,000 inhabitants

Despite Snake’s warnings, during the time we were in Rivera Hernandez we managed to move across enemy territories.

Out of the several gangs operating in this ill-reputed neighborhood, MS-13’s sworn enemy is Barrio 18: the 18th Street Gang. Yet another US import.

The never-ending confrontation between these two gangs has not only caused the death of thousands of gang members, but has also claimed the lives of scores of innocent victims, thus contributing to Honduras’ exorbitant murder rate.

Today I’m meeting a former Barrio 18 gang member, who’s now fully retired from gang activity and has agreed to talk to us under the condition of anonymity.

01:28:36:00

FL

How are you?

01:29:30:01

Raul

All good. Thanks God, here we are.

FL

[A large police patrol heavily armed with automatic rifles drives past us]

Patrols like this always pass by around here?

Raul

They always pass by because in this area there’s a lot of confrontation between criminals, so it’s normal for them to patrol around here.

Raul

I used to give out the orders within the area I lived. I was in charge of all contract killings, carjackings… everything passed through my hands.

FL

Tell me one thing, why do you wear this sleeve?

Raul

I wear it because I’ve got some tattoos that I don’t want anyone to identify.

FL

The gangs don’t use tattoos anymore, right?

Raul

It’s sort of forbidden these days, because without tattoos it’s easier to enter the areas controlled by rival gangs without getting identified.

FL

Did you ever kept count of how many people you killed?

Raul

No, to be honest. They were many.

FL

But approximately of how many are we talking? Twenty? Thirty?

Raul

There could be more, more than that.

There were people in the neighborhood who would see us hanging in groups and immediately pick up the phone and call the police to tell them that suspicious people were gathered in such and such place. So all those snitches, whom we call “frogs”, got killed by us.

We used to catch guys from enemy gangs…

FL

From MS-13?

Raul

We caught plenty of those.

We used pliers to cut off their fingers one by one, or we would stone them to death. We also used to hit them with baseball bats; we would hit them hard in the head until they were dead. Many times they’ll still be half-alive when we dumped them into the holes we had already dug for them.

Many of the plots of land around here are also clandestine cemeteries.

In what can be described as arather uncommon occurance, Raul was allowed to leave Barrio 18 after miraculously surviving a shot in the head.

Raul

The bullet got into my head, about three fingers’ deep, but then came out through the top of my head again.

These days Raul is a man of peace and a practicing Christian.

Raul

So much evil, so many innocent lives that were taken because of us… one has to suffer the punishment here on Earth.

A different story is that of Flaco – or “Skinny”, the current leader of Barrio 18 in the Rivera Hernandez sector.

He was orphaned at the age of 10 and he lived as a street child until the gang took him on. Since then he’s made his way up the ranks of Barrio 18 and now, at only 18 years of age, he’s in charge of a strategic territory controlled by the gang.

01:31:39:09

FL

What sort of thing does Barrio 18 do? How does it work?

  01:32:07:07

Skinny

We are just one organization, one gang, you get me?

We are people of principle; do you get it? And our rules are to be respected.

FL

Have you been to prison?

Skinny

Yes, in I’ve been to prison. The first time I went down for homicide, for illegal possession of firearms, for attempted vehicle robbery, for illicit association…

It’s part of our life, you get me? To suffer for the [Barrio 18] gang.

Then they took me to the juvenile detention center. After six months they took me to a hearing and told me I was getting released on probation but had to keep reporting to the court.

But then I got busted again for extortion. That time I managed to escape from the juvenile detention center.

FL

Do you confront the police too?

Skinny

The police are just doing their job. We don’t have anything against them. But when we have to take on the police, we do so - you get me?

I asked Skinny about his gang’s sworn enemies – MS-13.

Skinny

They [MS-13] rape and carry out all that kind of stuff which doesn’t go with us. They carry out robberies in their own neighborhoods.

You can be a member of our gang, but if you do that kind of stuff we’ll kill you.

Besides killing one another, gangs run extortion rackets within their territories, control the drugs trade, carry out contract killings, robberies, kidnappings and rapes. 

To hear an example of the brutality with which the gangs operate, we went to visit the daughter of another evangelical pastor who had just been through an unimaginable ordeal at the hands of one of the gangs.

01:33:21:08

Pastor

We were waiting for our daughter but she didn’t arrive. We got worried and began calling her but she didn’t reply.

01:33:52:00

Sarah

I was standing at a bus stop in Rivera Hernandez when I just felt someone was standing in line right behind me. Five minutes later I just felt someone grabbed my hand, I walked three steps and after that I don’t remember anything else.

I opened my eyes and I was tied up lying in the trunk of a station wagon.

I managed to grab this phone and sent a message to my brother: “look for me because some men are taking me”, I said.

They realized I grabbed my phone, so they took something, I don’t know what it was, but one of the men sitting in the backseat began to puncture me repeatedly with it.

FL

All these marks…

Sarah

Yes.

One said: “This idiot just grabbed the phone and alerted someone, stop the car.” So they stopped the car by a dumpster and the three of them took out their guns. One pointed at my head, another one at my stomach. Meanwhile I’m tied up inside the back of the station wagon.

When the one pointing his gun at my stomach shot, the gun didn’t work. Then the other one said: “I can’t do anything to her”, so they stood still looking at me and pointing the gun like this. They then hit me here – I’ve still got the bruises.

They took me to a house where there was a woman. The woman was telling them: “Go do your job! You know what your job is”.

So the men took me to a room. I was still tied down and they threw me on a bed. They wanted to undo my buttons and take off my blouse, but one of the men was saying: “No, no, I can’t touch her, I can’t touch her”. So he just stared at me and repeated that three more times: “I can’t touch her”.

And then the woman told them: “Leave! I’ll do it for you,” and she started hitting me with her fists. She slapped me too and then I started vomiting blood.

They had several cameras in the room.

FL

Several cameras?

Sarah

Yes, in a dark room with a red curtain as background.

FL

And they then likely sell those videos?

Pastor

That must be it.

Sarah

I really don’t know.

Pastor

That must be it.

Sarah

It was around ten when the woman said: “We can’t do anything, just take her away”. So they took me and threw me behind a bank’s parking lot. Three minutes later the police got there to get me.

Pastor

A brother [from our congregation] just said: “Glory to God, Glory to God!” And told us the police had found her.

I want you to look at this, because this is the picture of my girl that the police sent me once they got her. So this picture gave me the certainty that she was okay.

Sarah

It was God who was with me all the time, because when the moment came, those men couldn’t do anything to me.

Pastor

Maybe we can’t explain it but we believe it was God’s intervention.

We believe that it’s a criminal organization that is doing harm to young ladies.

Sarah

The police told me it was the MS-13.

Pastor

That’s what we believe.

They didn’t ask me for money, because we don’t have anything to give.

They had to realize that we are Christians, that we are God’s servants, because they had her phone, and she has pictures of us, of our church…

FL

What a horrible experience. I’ve never heard anything like this before.

Pastor

Indeed, it’s not easy for us…

In San Pedro Sula it doesn’t matter if you live your life peacefully and away from crime – the violence will still touch you sooner or later.

This is why most here want to emigrate, regardless of the perilous journey and its uncertain outcome.

This is the American legacy in Central America.

01:37:49:19

On top of the brutal gang violence affecting Honduras, the country is currently ranked as the fourth most corrupt country in the Americas.

This corruption also affects the police force and government agencies.

In a place like this, it’s hard to know who to trust.

01:38:18:08

But someone who knows how to navigate the murky waters of San Pedro Sula, is veteran news reporter Orlin Castro.

FL

How you doing brother?

01:38:46:01

Orlin Castro

How you doing?

FL

Good, good.

FL

So you’ve spent 16 years covering, mostly, crime - has your life ever been in danger?

Orlin Castro

Sadly, here in Honduras the life of every person is in danger as soon as they leave their homes.

Look, to be specific, I’m not afraid of criminal structures, because I very well know why a person here in Honduras joins a criminal organization.

The reason why? The lack of opportunities. The government doesn’t provide any opportunities.

Sometimes I’m more afraid of the Intelligence Service of Honduras, who might kill me just because

I said something against them.

We accompanied Orlin and his cameraman in one of their routine news-gathering rounds.

01:39:35:24

Orlin Castro

Turn on the flash lights, there is a shoot-out nearby! Here in the border between the 18 [18th Street gang] and the MS-13.

There goes the police patrol car.

Run!

01:39:42:01

Woman

Let’s go. Let’s go!... get out of the way.

Let’s go!

PTC

This is mayhem. The whole neighborhood is out and they’re blaming the cops for not catching the guys on time.

FL

What happened boss?

Man

There was a shootout, just right now.

FL

And they hit a girl?

Man

Yes, a minor.

FL

And she was like, a civilian, just passing by?

Man

Yes, she was buying at that shop over there.

Man two

A stray bullet caught her.

Man

A bullet hit her

Man three

They just began shooting like crazy, all over here – see.

FL

And they’ve left already?

Man

Yes, they’re gone now.

FL

This is a frontier zone, right?

PTC

This is just the border zone between the two gangs. People are just complaining that apparently the girl, an underage girl, was just, was just buying some groceries…

Let’s go, right? Ok, it’s safer to go.

Orlin Castro

Let’s get out of here.

PTC

This is the most senseless violence you could possibly think of.

The girl, of only 16 years of age, died on her way to hospital from gun-inflicted wounds. She was one more of hundreds of innocent passersby who have fallen victim of the brutal wars between the gangs that control San Pedro Sula.

Very soon after this tragic incident Orlin received another call – a man had been captured by the police counter-gang task force, while impersonating a gang member in order to extort money from bus drivers.

01:41:23:19

Orlin Castro

He says he’s from some gang and intimidates bus drivers.

Here bus drivers are used to paying [extortion money], as if they don’t pay they get killed.

01:42:00:03

FL

But it’s a double risk because both the police and the gang can hit you. Very risky, right?

Orlin Castro

It’s 15 years for that crime, right man?

Counter-gang policeman

Yes, in this case it’s 15 to 20 years because it’s simple extortion. Otherwise it’s 25 to 30 years

FL

And why is this? Because here the extortion issue is very critical?

Orlin Castro

Yes.

If this police unit didn’t exist, it’d be even worse. Extortion is a crime that takes place on a daily basis.

At the beginning they used to burn up the buses of those who didn’t pay.

So, in light of those cases of actual terrorism, they implemented a very drastic law.

One of Orlin’s contacts phoned with fresh information: a massive cocaine shipment had been intercepted by the military police.

Honduras is a well-known stopover for drugs that are in transit from Colombia to Mexico, where the cartels then smuggle them into the US.

01:43:02:16

Orlin Castro

Allegedly, the drug – and this is unofficial information - was travelling west, to the border with Guatemala, when it was intercepted at a police checkpoint.

01:43:22:11

Orlin Castro

[reporting]

Here, authorities are counting a very large amount of cocaine packages…

Police officer

Today we’ve inflicted a hard blow to drug trafficking with the detention of this vehicle at a checkpoint in “La Seidita”, near the country’s western border.

Up to this point we’ve counted a total of 467 cocaine packages.

01:44:10:06

Before the night came to an end, Orlin was called to the scene of yet another shooting - luckily this time with no casualties.

And later to the scenes of two car crashes, one of which reported two fatalities.

And this was just an average Friday night in San Pedro Sula.

01:44:36:06

Through a local contact, we managed to get a Honduran drug trafficker on the phone.

Under the condition of anonymity, he told us about the drug shipment recently busted, as he had personally been involved in a stage of its transport - luckily for him, before the bust took place.

01:44:54:21

TV News Report

“…intercepted a tow-type truck. There were 468 kilograms of cocaine hidden in it. We’re talking, kind viewers, of almost half a ton of cocaine that has been confiscated…”

Drug trafficker on the phone

Have they finished counting the drugs, or not?

FL

We’ve just seen the news report where they’re talking of about 466, or sometimes 468 kilos.

Drug trafficker on the phone

They’re 800 kilos, I was told.

FL

Really?

Drug trafficker on the phone

More or less…

FL

But you know how much was there?

Drug trafficker on the phone

Those are millions brother. But they are already starting with the next shipment. I mean, this morning they told me we have more drugs, we’re just waiting for the right time to move them.

You won’t believe this organization will weaken because of this, huh?

According to our source’s account, over 300 kilos of cocaine had mysteriously gone missing while under the custody of Honduran law enforcement.

01:45:49:21

Between 2016 and 2017 the Honduran government purged its national police force, getting rid of over 4,000 officers - mainly those linked to gangs or organized crime.

Just a few high-ranking police officers survived the purge.

One such policeman is Deputy Superintendent Glen Cuello.

01:46:06:06

Glen Cuello

Everybody hear my voice - attention!

01:46:28:22

We accompanied Glen on a routine patrol around Rivera Hernandez.

01:46:34:17

Glen Cuello

Fellow policemen: we will now start an operation in the “Human Settlement” neighborhood. You already know the area: a hot area, a problematic area, where MS-13 rules.

Are we clear?

01:46:41:06

Policemen

Clear sir!

Glen Cuello

Only the policemen who weren’t suitable for the institution were dismissed. And the few of us who remained in the police force have doubled our efforts and now we have even more sense of commitment with the police.

This is a very conflictive sector, because in the Rivera Hernandez area eight antisocial groups operate.

The most famous ones are the MS-13 and Barrio 18.

There’s a new gang too: they call themselves the “Terraceños of the White House”. These are people who have emigrated from the US and who are carrying out extortions in this area, and they are a clear example of the difficulties that these people who have emigrated from the United States bring to us. You know, because of the United States’ new policies.

Despite the limitations of our human resources, we have reduced homicides in 45%.

In 2017 we had 98 less murder cases than in 2016.

The US government, through USAID, implemented several programs in the different institutions here at Rivera Hernandez; programs tackling security, education, health...

The main goal of these programs is that the people from these areas, who are living in extreme poverty, don’t migrate [to the US], but that instead they get opportunities in this country and, if the US government cuts off the aid, well, these people will have to emigrate [to the US] and, you know, some people will go there to work, but others will go there to commit crimes.

GRAPHIC: COMPARISON OF HONDURAN AID PACKAGES SINCE 2001

2001: $52m

2002: $31m

2003: $90m

2004: $64m

2005: $291m

2006: $81m

2007: $63m

2008: $72m

2009: $44m

2010: $40m

2011: $93m

2012: $69m

2013: $103m

2014: $96m

2015: $134m

2016: $127m

2017: $181m

2018: $30.5m

The shift in foreign aid policy implemented by the Trump administration meant that the Honduran aid package plummeted from 181 million dollars in 2017, to 30.5 million in 2018 - it’s lowest in published records.

01:48:31:18

Glen Cuello

Right now we’ll carry out an operation in an area called ‘Human Settlements’. In the past, the gangs managed to take control of this place and even imposed a curfew.

01:48:50:10

Policeman

Hands up!

Glen Cuello

Right now we haven’t found anything illegal, everything is in order. Everyone has their IDs in order and no one is carrying a firearm.

Although progress has been made thanks to the purge of corrupt policemen, the National Police is the only law enforcement agency to have been through such drastic reform.

Other agencies are still subject to regular accusations of misconduct, or worse.

In order to investigate such alleged irregularities, we traveled to the capital, Tegucigalpa, to meet with Dr. Julissa Villanueva, Honduras’ Head of Forensic Medicine.

In a recent case, a female officer subscribed to the Technical Agency for Criminal Investigation (ATIC) had died under violent circumstances.

The agency she worked for immediately reported her death as a suicide, but Dr. Villanueva and her team of forensic experts categorically disagreed with such theory.

01:49:34:13

Dr. Villanueva

According to our inquiries this was a case of homicide.

So, what lies behind the death of [agent] Sherrill Yubissa?

I do believe that, besides being an [ATIC] agent, the young lady knew about a lot of critical information.

Within the ATIC there are people who talk of the existence of death squads within the agency itself.

If they were able to change the crime scene and simulate a suicide, what can’t they do?

We were just telling them: “Gentlemen, this isn’t a suicide”. So, why did they have to threaten us?

In San Pedro Sula we got direct threats from people who came to our regional office to tell us there were men outside the building waiting for us to come out so that they could kill us.

01:50:26:06

Dr. Villanueva

[greeting another forensic doctor]

Hello. How are you? What’s new?

These are corpses found at the National Penitentiary.

They were found in clandestine graves within the Penitentiary. We know how he died, we know his age but we can’t stablish who the person is, because through the penitentiary’s record they should know who’s missing. But if 20 or maybe 10 inmates have escaped, and no one knows who or how many these were…

We really don’t know if this is one of the alleged fugitives, or if he could be a lawyer or a relative of one of the inmates.

FL

What are the causes of death?

Forensic Doctor

In this case it’s decapitation. There are injuries in the cervical vertebrae and also multiple fractures in the extremities, which indicates the body was dismembered.

Forensic Doctor

And what you can also tell in this case is that there were multiple attempts to separate the bone. These marks are from the multiple times the bladed weapon hit the bone: two, three, four, five, six times.

Dr. Villanueva

[greets another colleague at the morgue]

Hello. So, what is this case about?

Male Forensic Doctor

It’s from a man who got electrocuted and apparently fell and had a dislocation.

Dr. Villanueva

So that’s an electrocuted man. Thank God it’s only a work-related accident.

FL

Roughly, what percentage of the corpses that end up here you believe are homicide victims?

Dr. Villanueva

Seventy per cent.

FL

Seventy…

Pastor Pacheco and I are visiting Police Deputy Commissioner Glen Cuello.

01:53:07:21

Glen Cuello

[up-sound]

Please have a seat. Come in.

01:53:13:23

…after Pacheco received some news that have left him very concerned.

01:53:15:19

Glen Cuello

Some lawyers from the Security Agency came over and notified me that I’m not a suitable officer and that they were cancelling my work agreement.

Twenty years serving my country have been thrown down the drain today, because of my country’s politicians.

01:53:21:04

Pacheco

God…

Glen Cuello

It’s unfortunate because I’ve served my country

and I just don’t understand. They don’t give you any explanation, they simply tell you that you’re out.

FL

And Dani, this also puts you in a complicated situation, right?

Pacheco

This puts me in a very difficult situation. Deputy Commissioner Glen has rescued me from attacks I’ve suffered in the past, and he’s been an important part of my security, of my trust, and also an important part of my decision to stay in my neighborhood and to fight for its improvement.

FL

He’s the one guaranteeing your safety?

Pacheco

Definitely, definitely.

Glen Cuello

I worked for two years here in Rivera Hernandez. I was tempted several times. Members from a certain gang came here to try to bribe me, to offer me a monthly allowance.

But, because of my professionalism, I rejected it. I told them I was not going to work with any of them and that I was going to apply the law.

Working in Rivera Hernandez we did a lot of positive work, we detained many criminals, seized many guns and a lot of drugs, and suddenly I fear for my life. All these actions I carried out against the gangs now make me fear for my life, so I will ask for help to emigrate to another country.

Not only the common folk, but also gang members and even police officers want to flee the wave of violence affecting Honduras.

01:55:04:10

FL

Well Deputy, best of luck with that.

01:55:13:03

Glen Cuello

Thank you my friend for the support.

Pacheco

Thank you for everything.

Glen Cuello

We’re here at your disposal.

According to the official account, Officer Cuello had been dismissed because he didn’t get certain qualifications required for his promotion to Police Commissioner. However, he assures that this is just an excuse, as his exam was scheduled for a later date.

In a place like this, it’s very hard to know who stands on which side of the truth.

Meanwhile, on a more positive note, Jeremias Vobada’s Electronics Workshop has had its first group of graduates, one of whom already has a job as an electrician.

01:55:23:14

FOOTAGE SHOT BY LOCALS

Denis

We want to thank the workshop, but firstly God, for allowing me to find a job.

01:55:58:02

Jeremias and his graduates have made a video to show the results of their workshop.

01:56:04:03

Jeremias

This workshop is helping us to motivate children and teenagers so that they learn a trade that will help them through life, and that will also help us to avoid the emigration of our children and teenagers.

01:56:10:17

To stop the mass migration from Honduras and the rest of Central America, the wave of gang violence needs to be curbed.

And for this to happen, serious investment in education and violence prevention needs to take place.

01:56:26:12

However, in places like Honduras, where the government lacks either the funds or the will to invest in people and in violence prevention, private initiatives and foreign aid are the only hope.

01:56:45:05

President Trump continues to play a rather dangerous game, going back and forth with his threats to cut off aid to Central America, not realizing that this will just worsen the wave of violence triggered by his country’s policies, thus creating a boomerang effect, as more migrants will end up fleeing the violence and showing up at the US border.

After all, the only way to solve the Central American crisis and create a brighter future for the millions of children living in risky environments, is by getting to the root causes, and no border shutting will stop the flow of those who cannot withstand their undignified lives any longer.

01: 56:58:10

END