Honduran Gang Members Missing After Being Arrested

In at least five instances over the last number of months, according to the AP, gang members in Honduras have disappeared after being confronted by the national police. Members of the 18^th Street Gang are accusing the national police of forming "death squads" of armed men who either kill the gang members or make them mysteriously vanish.

Another Honduran gang, Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, was formed in the United States by Honduran inmates. The gang has had an increasing presence in America, but due to the deportation of a number of its members, MS-13 and the other street gangs have overrun Honduras, according to the AP.

In response, citizens allege that police in the country with the highest murder rate in the world have taken matters into their own hands. Gang leader Kevin Carranza and his girlfriend were reportedly arrested in January and later disappeared. A mother of another reported gang member said her son and another man called her frantically to tell her that police were reportedly at their home, and that they feared for their lives. After a search, she located the body of her son, Billy "Babyface" Jovel Mejia, 23, and Wilder Javier Alvarado, 20. The local authorities called her to say they had found the men, both of which had been shot in the head.

The United States reportedly funds the national police to the tune of approximately $30 million over the last two years. Assistant Secretary of State William Brownfield told the AP of the tenuous situation regarding the funding.

"Although the national police may have its defects at the moment, it is the lesser evil," he said, likely referring to the Honduran armed forces as the other option to aid in stopping the violence in the Latin American country.