Nicaragua has pardoned 21 Honduran prisoners, including a high-ranking member of the infamous Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) criminal gang, and repatriated them to Honduras.
Among the pardoned is the notorious MS-13 gang leader, David Elias Campbell Licona, better known by his alias “El Viejo Dan”.
Upon crossing the border, Honduran police promptly apprehended Campbell Licona.
He had been on the radar of Honduran authorities since 2016, facing charges of money laundering and gang-related activities, and was apprehended in Nicaragua in June 2021.
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The United States, where he is wanted for firearm possession and faces a slew of conspiracy charges, including murder and cocaine importation, sanctioned him earlier this year.
Campbell Licona is alleged to have used gang-owned or controlled businesses to launder drug proceeds, even involving U.S. banks, according to U.S. authorities.
This prisoner transfer follows a similar move on October 18 that saw 43 Honduran inmates repatriated. The motivations behind Nicaragua’s actions remain undisclosed.
Furthermore, the city has plans to repatriate prisoners to Costa Rica, as per the government of its southern neighbor.