Police Shoot at Passenger Ship in Honduras in Attempt to Intercept Drug Route

In a joint effort between Honduran police and U.S. Drug Enforcement Office officials, four people died after a shooting intended to intercept what was believed to be a drug transfer on May 11, 2012. The Diario Las Americas reports the shots were fired by Honduran police from U.S. helicopters at a passenger ship traveling on the Patuca River in a remote area near the Caribbean. U.S. officials did not fire. Officials claim travel by night is suspicious and often illegitimate, thus providing the rationale for the shooting. President Porfirio Lobo has stated that many indigenous people participate in the transportation of cocaine in order to support themselves.The police have sought to discourage any travel by night, which some residents feel threaten their ability to work and travel freely. Many passengers on the ship were injured in the event, including Willmer Walter Lucas, 14, who continues to recover from wounds that required the amputation of his hand. Read Article