Honduran president announces security measures after massacre of 11 in pool hall
Honduran President Xiomara Castro has announced security measures including raids, checkpoints and curfews in the north of the country to quell a wave of drug trafficking-linked violence following the massacre of 11 people in a pool hall by gunmen
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Honduran President Xiomara Castro announced on Sunday security measures including raids, checkpoints and curfews in the north of the country to quell a wave of drug trafficking-linked violence following the massacre of 11 people in a pool hall by gunmen.
Armed men burst into the pool hall in the city of Choloma in Cortes province late Saturday night and began shooting people point blank, police said. Ten men and one woman were killed.
The massacre followed the killing of three people Thursday in a bakery in the city of San Pedro Sula. Among the victims was Ericka Julissa Bandy García, wife of an alleged associate of former President Juan Orlando Hernández, who is imprisoned in the U.S. awaiting trial for drug trafficking-related charges.
In central Honduras, 46 inmates were killed Tuesday by Barrio 18 gang members in a women’s prison in Tamara, north of Tegucigalpa.
“SPS (San Pedro Sula) and Choloma: I have taken measures to give you security in the face of the brutal and ruthless terrorist attack you face by hired thugs trained and directed by the drug lords who operate with impunity in the Sula valley drug corridor,” the president said.
The security measures announced by Castro include “raids, captures and checkpoints 24 hours a day,” along with curfews for Choloma and San Pedro Sula. The curfew in Choloma will run from 9 p.m. until 4 a.m. The curfew in San Pedro Sula will begin on July 4.
National Police spokesman Edgardo Barahona confirmed the attack in the pool hall.
The brutal slaughter of the female prisoners led Castro to announce measures to take control of the prisons and stop the entry of weapons and drugs into the lockups.