US embassy cable - 05TEGUCIGALPA2443

C O N F I D E N T I A L TEGUCIGALPA 002443 
 
SIPDIS 
 
PASS TO DS/CR/CIL M. BAYER, DS/IP/WHA T.KEIL, AND M.FLYNN 
DS/ITA K. HALL 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/01/2014 
TAGS: ASEC 
SUBJECT: CONTINUING CORRUPTION WITHIN GOVERNMENT OF 
HONDURAS IMMIGRATION SERVICE 
 
REF: A. 04 TEGUCIGALPA 02370 
 
     B. TEGUCIGALPA 01936 
     C. TEGUCIGALPA 01790 
     D. TEGUCIGALPA 01376 
     E. TEGUCIGALPA 00993 
     F. TEGUCIGALPA 00930 
     G. TEGUCIGALPA 00900 
     H. TEGUCIGALPA 00901 
 
1. (C) Summary - RSO, in conjunction with Department of 
Homeland Security (DHS), is investigating a smuggling 
operation involving immigration officials from Honduras and 
Guatemala.  We believe this operation involves the smuggling 
of Brazilian nationals through Honduras and Guatemala with 
the final destination being the United States. At this point, 
RSO and DHS feels at least three Honduran immigration 
officials are involved with more possibly to be implicated in 
the future.  To date, over 25 Brazilians have transited 
Honduras on their way to the United States. This is yet 
another example of corruption within the Honduran immigration 
service. (See reftels noted above)  RSO is concerned that the 
Honduran immigration service remains seriously deficient and 
this in turn could have serious national security 
ramification on the U.S. homeland.  End Summary 
 
2. (C) In the past month, RSO Tegucigalpa, in conjunction 
with DHS, has been investigating another case of corruption 
within the Honduran Immigration Service.  During this 
investigation, RSO and DHS have identified three Honduran 
immigration officials as being involved in the illegal 
transport of Brazilian Nationals.  The Honduran officials 
ensure their safe passage through Honduras to the Guatemalan 
border. Once in Guatemala a corrupt immigration official 
there takes control of them and ensures their unimpeded 
travel north to the United States. Both DHS and RSO believe 
that as this operation grows larger, it will require the 
cooperation/involvement of more Honduran immigration 
officials. At this juncture, RSO and DHS have learned in the 
last two weeks that 25 Brazilians have transited through 
Honduras on their way to the U.S. Our investigation 
indicates, if these travelers are successful then the number 
of Brazilians will likely increase in the future. 
 
3. (C) DHS Tegucigalpa has opened an investigation entitled 
operation "SAMBA" and is requesting assistance from all DHS 
operational elements along the U.S. Mexican border. 
Currently, DHS does not know the intended entry point the 
Brazilians will use to enter into the U.S. 
 
4. (C) RSO Tegucigalpa is requesting, through DS/CIL, the 
assistance of RSO Brasilia.  RSO has a list of names and 
passport numbers of the Brazilians who have thus far traveled 
through Honduras and on to Guatemala. RSO Tegucigalpa 
requests any information on these illegal travelers that can 
be provided to include criminal history. The list of 
Brazilian travelers will follow in a Septel. 
 
5.  POC for this investigation is ARSO Bill Stowell 
Ford