On March 1, two U.S.-trained Honduran military were mentioned in the trial of the former President of Honduras, Juan Orlando Hernández in New York.
Colonel Mario “El Tigre” Amaya and General Julian Pacheco Tinoco were named as providing intelligence information for the Los Cachiros drug cartel in testimony given by Fabio Lobo, the son of the former President of Honduras, Porfirio Lobo. The information allowed the Cachiros and Fabio Lobo to receive drug shipments and transport them across Honduras into Guatemala. Fabio is now a cooperating witness of the U.S. government and testified last week in the trial in the Southern District of New York.
*****
U.S. prosecutors: “You helped the Cachiros [cartel] to get government contracts, did you help them in other ways?”
Fabio Lobo: “Yes, with drug trafficking operations”
U.S. prosecutors: “How did you do that?”
Fabio Lobo: “I helped by providing them with all the information for drug trafficking operations, like intelligence information”
U.S. prosecutors: “Where did you get that information from?”
Fabio Lobo: “I received the information from Colonel Mario Amaya and Pacheco Tinoco, the Chief of Intelligence.”
*****
The U.S. Trains Human Rights Abusers & Key Allies of Drug Traffickers
Julian Pacheco Tinoco was trained in the School of the Americas in Fort Benning, Georgia. He also took courses in counterinsurgency. From 2012 to 2015, Pacheco headed the newly created National Directorate of Intelligence and Defense. In 2015, Pacheco became the Minister of Security, and went on to lead the U.S.-funded and supported Special Reform Commission for the Purging and Transformation of the Police.
Despite the allegations that Pacheco was involved in drug trafficking as early as 2017, the U.S. continued its support for the police commission and the Honduran government. Amidst widespread electoral fraud in 2017, the U.S. and Canada put their stamp of approval on the 2017 election results even after state security forces under Pacheco’s command were shooting and imprisoning protesters denouncing the fraud.
Similarly, Colonel Mario “El Tigre” Amaya, who died in Honduras in 2014, was head of the Honduran special forces and member of the infamous Battalion 316. In the 1980s, the CIA trained and advised Battalion 316 members in the U.S. and in Honduras as part of their efforts to squash anti-communist efforts in Central America. The special army unit kidnapped, tortured, murdered, and disappeared students, union leaders, teachers, and journalists using brutal tactics. Despite these behaviors, the CIA and U.S. government continued their financial support for Battalion 316.
After Battalion 316 was dismantled, U.S. policymakers, like Elliot Abrams, and Honduran military that were involved in or supported the Battalion remained active and in powerful positions. After the unit was dismantled, military officials like Amaya remained in the Honduran military and often drew on their U.S. training to commit crimes in impunity.
In 1995, Honduran environmentalist Jeanette Kawas was murdered in her home in Tela, Honduras. According to human rights organizations, Amaya is believed to be one of the principal suspects in Kawas’ murder but he was never held accountable. Although Amaya died in 2014, providing drug traffickers with intelligence information may be another crime to add to the list of illegal and criminal activities he was involved in.
#PublicInquiriesNow
Both Pacheco and Amaya were named in JOH’s trial in New York as being involved in drug trafficking. Both military colonels received political support and training from the U.S. government. For these reasons and more, we call on immediate investigations and public inquiries in Canada and the U.S. to investigate our role in perpetuating, supporting and legitimizing the narco-state and state security forces well known to be involved in drug trafficking and human rights abuses.
To follow and support the campaign
We are campaigning to hold the U.S. and Canada responsible for supporting the Honduran narco-state as former President Juan Orlando Hernández & police officers go to trial in New York on February 2024 (pending any further date changes).
- Read Update #1: U.S. and Canadian support for the coup: Creating the conditions for the construction of a narco-state.
- Read Update #2: Trial date change. The campaign continues.
- Read Update #3: “The U.S. government’s go-to man on the war on drug trafficking” pleads guilty to drug trafficking
- Read Update #4: The U.S. and Canada Supported Three Contested and Fraudulent Elections (2009, 2013, 2017).
- Read Update #5: Live from New York.
- Read Update #6: The U.S. Government is Blocking the Use of Classified Information Outlining U.S. Relations with JOH and the Narco-state.
- Read Update #7: The Trial Against Juan Orlando Hernández Finally Starts in New York
- Read Update #8: Testimony in Trial Shows How U.S. and Canada Ignored Warnings of 2013 Drug Violence.
- Read Update #9: Honduras Was ‘Open for Business’ (and Drug Trafficking)
Facebook: Honduras Solidarity Network & Honduras Now
X (formerly Twitter): @Hondurassol @HondurasNow
Instagram: @HondurasNow
Web: Bit.ly/NarcoTrialCampaign
Contact: karen@hondurasnow.org & honsolnetwork@gmail.com
To donate: hondurasnow.org/donate
