iStock/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) — The Department of State has updated a travel warning to Honduras, cautioning citizens of high levels of crime and violence in the country.
Threats are “critically high,” according to a statement issued Tuesday, with Honduras holding the title of the highest murder rate in the world since 2010.
The Honduran Ministry of Security recorded a homicide rate of 75.6 per 100,000 people in 2013, while another academic research institution, the National Violence Observatory, found 79 murders per 100,000.
Tourist areas such as Roatan/Bay Islands and the Copan Mayan ruins have a lower crime rate than other parts of the country, but crimes such as theft, break-ins, and assaults are still high by international standards.
The United States claims the Honduran government lacks the resources to address such issues, with police taking hours to arrive at the scene of a crime. Members of law enforcement are also reported to have engaged in criminal activity, including murder and car theft.
Officials say the majority of serious crimes in the country are never solved, including those against U.S. citizens.
Tuesday’s updated travel warning comes hours after Department of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson told a House Committee that “conditions in Honduras are horrible….the murder capital of the world.” He also identified violence and danger as the primary cause of mass migration of unaccompanied minors along the U.S. border.
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