A joint Honduran-U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration mission violated the law when a DEA agent killed an alleged narco-trafficker in a June 22 raid in the Central American country, a congressman from President Porfirio Lobo's ruling party said.
"At no time does the DEA or any military force have the right to kill people," Maylo Wood, a lawmaker with Lobo's National Party who represents the region in eastern Honduras where the shooting took place, said in a phone interview from Tegucigalpa. "It isn't acceptable that the military goes in and kills people suspected of being involved in illicit activities without attempting to capture them and following proper legal protocol."
Three DEA agents were embedded with Honduran police in the anti-narcotics raid that netted 360 kilograms (794 pounds) of cocaine. The DEA has increased its presence in Honduras as drug cartels deepen roots in Central America. About 79 percent of cocaine-smuggling flights departing South America first land in Honduras, according to the U.S. State Department.
Four suspects were arrested in the assault, while a fifth resisted and pulled a gun, leaving the U.S. officer no choice but to fire, said Rusty Payne, a DEA spokesman in Washington.
'Self Defense'
"The suspect refused to surrender and the agent shot him in self-defense," Payne said in a phone interview. "As with any shooting incident, the DEA will launch a full investigation."
The Honduran government has sent a "high level" team to the site to investigate the incident, Security Minister Pompeyo Bonilla said in an e-mailed statement.
The latest shooting followed a DEA and Honduran mission in the same area on May 11, which resulted in the death of a teenage boy and two pregnant women. No U.S. agents fired weapons during that incident, according to the security ministry.
The U.S. will continue to train Honduran police and assist anti-narcotics operations as the government struggles to contain drug violence, Payne said.
To contact the reporters on this story: Eric Sabo in Panama City at esabo1@bloomberg.net; Adam Williams in San Jose, Costa Rica at awilliams111@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Joshua Goodman at jgoodman19@bloomberg.net
No hay comentarios:
Publicar un comentario