The defense ministers of Colombia and Honduras met Tuesday to discuss the progress of cooperation between the two nations in the fight against international crime, with particular focus on international arms trafficking.
Rodrigo Rivera and his Honduran counterpart, Marlon Pascua, agreed to strengthen the ties to more effectively combat drug trafficking, kidnapping and extortion, although the international trafficking of increasingly destructive weapons seemingly topped the agenda, El Espectador reported Tuesday.
“In the case of Honduras we can confirm the existence of arms trafficking. By chance, at the end of last week we were able to capture a cargo of weapons with great destructive power. We do not know where this stockpile was headed but we do understand that, wherever its destination, it would have caused terrible damage,” said Pascua.
“We want to maintain cooperation with neighbouring countries to determine who is responsible for this shipment,” he added.
The Honduran minister also stated that his nation is seeking advice from Colombian police with regard to combating the production of illegal crops, as well as illegal trafficking by aircraft, which has some operations based in the Central American country.
“The experiences and successes of Colombia against organized crime are of extraordinary help to us,” he continued, noting the similarities in the problems faced by both countries.
He stressed the importance of cooperation between the “two brotherly countries,” that “are both fighting to combat a problem that must be seen as a regional problem, a continental problem and a problem facing humanity.”