This week, Nicaraguan authorities engaged in a transnational prisoner return, repatriating 21 Honduran inmates, a move that marks the continuation of Nicaragua’s recent trend of prisoner repatriation. Included in the returned group was a notable figure, the leader of the Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) criminal organisation, David Elias Campbell Licona, colloquially known as “El Viejo Dan”. The Nicaraguan government is yet to state reasons for their decision to return these prisoners.
An official statement from the Honduran Police on Sunday confirmed the return. Additionally, Nicaragua had communicated plans of similar actions involving prisoners from Costa Rica. On their arrival in Honduras, various security organizations, including the Police Directorate against Maras and Gangs Against Organised Crime (DIPAMPCO), National Directorate of Prevention and Community Security (DNPSC), and intelligence agents, greeted the detainees at the border.
Among the repatriated, Campbell Licona’s case stands out due to his high-profile status and criminal activities. The officers apprehended Licona in June 2021 in Nicaragua following a red alert by INTERPOL relating to drug trafficking charges. On top of this, an outstanding warrant for illicit association, dating back to February 22, 2016, labeled Licona a wanted man. Another individual, José Augusto Chirinos Salinas, had an arrest warrant against his name for money laundering issued by a Court of First Instance in Tela, Atlántida in Honduras.
This recent activity aligns with the incident on October 18 earlier this year, where Nicaragua returned 43 prisoners to Honduras. Despite tentative theories, the Nicaraguan authorities are yet to shed light on their motivations for these prisoner returns.
This update and more can be found at JURIST – News.