Honduran Naval Forces Receive International Training to Combat Drug Trafficking

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, July 28, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 250 members of the Honduran Navy (FEN) just completed a rigorous training program led by military instructors from the United States, Colombia, and Chile at the Naval Training Center in Trujillo Bay, Honduras.

"Honduras has made a steadfast commitment to stamp out organized crime and drug trafficking," said Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández. "Our naval forces, who work hard to keep our borders secure, will help us fulfill that commitment."

Most of the cocaine that passes through Honduras enters by sea, according to the U.S. Defense Department's latest International Narcotics Control Strategy Report.

The training in Trujillo Bay focused on "operational readiness," according to Captain Héctor Manuel Tercero López of the Honduran Navy. He expects the trainees to share their new knowledge with their home units.

A well-trained navy is a key component of the Honduran government's strategy for fighting crime. Between 2013, the year FEN was established, and 2016, Honduras's murder rate dropped by more than 30 percent.

The Trujillo Bay training isn't the first time that FEN has worked with navies from other countries. In 2013, members of the U.S. Naval Special Warfare Task Element Alpha spent six months in Honduras teaching FEN some of the most cutting-edge military techniques. 

"Honduras is committed to ensuring peace and protecting human rights," said Hernández. "We are accomplishing these goals by giving our armed forces the tools they need not just to fight crime but to eliminate it."

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SOURCE Republic of Honduras