Police Arrest Two Men Accused of Links to Pandilla 18 in Comayagüela

Honduran police arrested two men suspected of ties to the criminal group known as Pandilla 18 during separate operations in Comayagüela. Armando Josué Aguilar Cano, a 27-year-old from Tegucigalpa who went by "El Pelón," was detained on November 1st for alleged involvement with associations terroristas. Authorities noted he bears the number 18 tattooed on his right arm and previously served time in August 2019 for extortion. Social media users following his arrest claimed he had converted to Christianity, though some questioned the detention itself.

Separately, Esteban Andrés Gómez Hernández was arrested on November 2nd under the alias "Dauner" during a saturation operation involving multiple police units including DAET and UMEP-3. He is alleged to hold the rank of "Homie firme" within Pandilla 18 and has prior records for extortion dating back to 2018, having served six years in custody.

Both suspects face charges related to criminal associations and will be transferred to FESCCO for further proceedings.