Blow to criminal surveillance: Illegal camera network dismantled in Honduras
In a decisive operation against organized crime, the Military Police of Public Order (PMOP) of Honduras carried out the removal of more than a hundred video surveillance cameras illegally installed in the municipalities of San Pedro Sula and La Lima, located in the department of Cortés.
What initially began as an operation to deactivate 45 devices ended up expanding following the discovery of a monitoring infrastructure much larger than anticipated. According to investigations, these cameras were strategically placed on state poles and in public areas to shield the operations of criminal structures.
A spy tool against the law
Colonel Elvin Cerrato, commander of the Ninth Battalion of the PMOP, explained that the main objective of this system was to detect the presence of security forces in real time. By having eyes at key points in the city, criminal groups were able to anticipate police and military movements to evade justice.
We are currently taking the eyes away from these criminal structures.
Colonel Elvin Cerrato, commander of the Ninth Battalion of the PMOP
Operation details
- Scope: The deployment covered critical areas such as 27th Street in San Pedro Sula, the Rivera Hernández sector, and the municipality of La Lima.
- Military intelligence: Intelligence units conducted prior mapping to identify the exact points where organized crime had installed unauthorized surveillance technology.
- Use of public property: Authorities reported that criminals used state-owned utility poles to mount their cameras, gaining privileged positions to monitor the movement of vehicles and people.
Beyond the physical removal of the equipment, Honduran authorities have launched an exhaustive investigation to identify those responsible for the installation and determine who had access to the monitoring network. This effort seeks to dismantle the response and anticipation capabilities that these gangs had developed through the illicit use of technology.
With these actions, the PMOP reaffirms its commitment to citizen security, striking at the technological tools that facilitated the planning of criminal activities in the country.
