This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

242322Z Dec 05

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TEGUCIGALPA 002579 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR DS/DSS, DS/IP/ITA, DS/IP/WHA, DS/IP/OPO, DS/OPO/OSD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ASEC
SUBJECT: CARJACKING OF U.S. MISSION VEHICLE AND ABDUCTION 
OF FSN EMPLOYEE 
 
 
¶1. (SBU)  Summary:  At approximately 1700 hours on Thursday, 
12/22/2005, a USAID-employed Foreign Service National (FSN) 
was returning an official vehicle to the USAID warehouse when 
he was intercepted by a pickup-truck occupied by five masked 
gunmen armed with automatic weapons.  Three of the gunmen 
forced entry into the USAID vehicle and ordered the FSN to 
drive them away.  The remaining two assailants followed in 
their truck.  The gunmen, who took the FSN's national 
identification card, watch, and USAID-issued radio, demanded 
to know the addresses of his American supervisors.  The FSN 
told them that he did not know this information and begged 
for his life, stating that he had an ill nine-year old son. 
The assailants and the FSN spent the entire night in the 
vehicles, which were parked on the side of the road in a 
local neighborhood.  The following day, the gunmen ordered 
the FSN to drive to his house and pick up his son.  They then 
drove back to the area that they stayed the previous night 
and the FSN, his son, and one gunmen remained in the pick-up 
all day while the other four gunmen left in the USG Suburban. 
 The FSN and his son were released, without injury, at 1800 
hours on Friday 12/23/2005.  The official USG vehicle was 
apparently abandoned the same day has since been recovered by 
the local police. End Summary. 
 
¶2.  (SBU)  At 1200 hours on 12/24/2005, USAID EXO Neil Kester 
notified Acting RSO of a carjacking of an official USAID 
vehicle and of the abduction of the FSN driver.  At 1300 
hours, RSO, USAID EXO, RSO FSNI, and USAID FSN motorpool 
supervisor interviewed the driver,   The following details 
were obtained:  At approximately 1700 hours on Thursday, 
12/22/2005, USAID storekeeper Oscar Cruz Bonilla, a 15-year 
employee of the Mission, was returning an official Mission 
vehicle, a grey Chevrolet Suburban with license pates 
MI-3623, from the USAID building to the USAID warehouse. 
While making the final turn to the warehouse, which is about 
one mile from the main USAID building, a blue, single cab 
Toyota pickup-truck with tinted windows and without license 
plates intercepted the FSN's vehicle.  (The only identifying 
plates on the vehicle was a rear basketball vanity plate 
bearing the name "Jordon").  Before the employee could react, 
five masked gunmen pointed their weapons at the employee and 
forced entry into the vehicle.  Two of the attackers were 
armed with Uzi submachine guns and the other three carried 
revolvers.  According to the FSN, all of the gunmen were 
wearing military-style boots and were wearing blue jeans. 
Additionally, at least some of the men, all described as 
Honduran males aged 35-40 years with local accents, wore 
military type backpacks.  Two of the assailants had 
identical, blue snake tattoos on both of their upper arms. 
Three of the gunmen remained in the Suburban (two in the 
front seat and one in the rear) and ordered the FSN to drive 
away while the remaining two gunmen followed in their 
pickup-truck. 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  Both vehicles drove to a location near the city 
dump, in an area known as Olanchao, about a 20-minute drive 
to the east of Tegucigalpa.  They parked on the side of the 
road, tied-up the FSN, and demanded that the FSN tell them 
the addresses of his American supervisors.  The FSN stated 
that he did not know this information and begged them not to 
kill him as he had a sick nine-year old son at home whom he 
needed to take care of.  All five attackers and the FSN 
stayed all night in the vehicles, remaining in the same 
location on the side of the road in Olanchao.  According to 
the FSN, the conversation was limited.  They attackers 
continually pointed their weapons at him and prodded him for 
information about the locations of his supervisors' 
residences.  The FSN repeated that he honestly did not know 
that information and pleaded with them to spare his life. 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  At 0700 hours the following morning, on Friday 
12/23/2005. the FSN complied with their orders to drive all 
of them in the USG vehicle (leaving the pick-up truck behind 
in Olanchao) to the FSN's residence in order to verify that 
he indeed had a sick child.  The gunmen remained in the 
Suburban and ordered the FSN to go into his house alone and 
retrieve his son.  They told him not to alert anyone inside 
or they would kill him.  The FSN went inside, got his 
nine-year old son, and returned with him to the awaiting 
vehicles.  The FSN, as ordered, did not alert his wife of the 
situation.  The five gunmen, the FSN, and the FSN's son then 
drove back to their previous location in the Olanchao 
neighborhood.  At approximately 0800 hours, four of the 
gunmen drove off in the USAID Suburban while the FSN, his 
son, and one gunman stayed behind in the attacker's pick-up 
truck.  They remained in the truck all day, until 
approximately 1800 hours. 
 
¶5.  (SBU)  When the FSN did not show-up for work that day, 
USAID personnel attempted to ascertain his whereabouts. 
Likewise, the FSN's wife, not knowing where her husband or 
child were, became worried and initiated her own search. 
Meanwhile, at 1800 hours, both the FSN and his son were 
released and walked back to Tegucigalpa.  Before granting 
their release, the FSN was told not to report the incident to 
the police and that if he did, they would return to kill him 
as they know where he lives.  The USG vehicle, which 
apparently was involved in a minor traffic accident the same 
day, was abandoned and has since been recovered and is 
located at a local police storage yard. 
 
¶6.  (SBU)  According to the FSN, he believes that his 
attackers are professional robbers, judging from their 
mannerisms, the firearms that they were using, and their 
attire.  He stated that the area of the abduction, near the 
USAID warehouse, was deserted at the time of the attack and 
that there were no witnesses.  When questioned as to a 
possible motive for the carjacking and abduction, the FSN 
theorized that his attackers perhaps took the USG vehicle for 
use in other criminal acts during the day on Friday, when the 
four gunmen drove off in it. (RSO note: The RSO will 
follow-up on this theory and attempt to determine if indeed 
the police have knowledge of any incident where the USG 
vehicle was involved.  Also, the FSN added that the 
assailants told his son that they were policemen.  This 
information, although remotely possible, remains 
unverifiable.  End RSO note)  The FSN, fearing for his safety 
and for the safety of his family, does not wish to appear in 
person to report this incident to the local authorities.  RSO 
will submit a report, however, to the local police detailing 
the events that occurred and reporting the description of the 
attacker's truck.  Additionally, RSO has notified the LGF and 
the Surveillance Detection team, and has placed additional 
LGF patrols on the three American USAID supervisor's 
residences.  All three American supervisors have been 
notified of the situation. 
 
¶7.  (SBU)  RSO will continue to monitor this situation 
closely and will work with the local authorities in 
recovering the USG vehicle and in the subsequent 
investigation.  USAID is also offering support to the 
employee and to his family in light of this traumatic 
experience.  Point of contact for this matter is Acting RSO 
Robert A. Rentz. 
Ford