The Global Advisor: Spotlight on Latin America | March 2026 Honduras
Criminals demand ransom from employer after virtual kidnapping of three gas deliverymen in Cedros (Francisco Morazán department) Criminals lured three gas company employees to a rural location in Cedros by ordering a large delivery of gas cylinders on 6 January. The gas company lost contact with the employees after they arrived at the location and began receiving calls from the criminals, who claimed to have kidnapped them and demanded a large ransom for their release. Police responded to the employer’s report and located the victims safe and alone in Cedros, confirming the case was a virtual kidnap.
Control Risks comment
Virtual kidnaps rose sharply in Honduras in 2025, compared to previous years, when the scam did not pose a significant threat. This incident highlights the most common tactic deployed by virtual kidnappers in the country; the criminals contact businesses offering call-out and delivery services, typically utilities and construction companies, and lure them to rural areas. The scammers then convince the employees that they are surrounded by armed criminals and coerce them into ceasing contact with their employer, whom the criminals subsequently contact to demand ransoms. Similar incidents are likely to persist in Honduras throughout 2026.
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