Honduras Caught up in Espionage Video Scandal: Drug Traffickers Paid Bribe to Influence Presidential Election

honduras - A family member of President Xiomara Castro of Honduras is alleged to have accepted at least half a million dollars in bribes from drug traffickers in 2013, as revealed in a recently published video.

A family member of President Xiomara Castro of Honduras is alleged to have accepted at least half a million dollars in bribes from drug traffickers in 2013, as revealed in a recently published video.

The video shows how the brother-in-law of the leftist Honduran president had a meeting with some of the most powerful drug traffickers in the country with the aim of influencing the outcome of Castro's first presidential bid.

President Castro condemned any form of negotiation between drug smugglers and politicians, labeling it as an attempt by Washington and opposition parties to overthrow her democratically elected government and influence the upcoming elections in November 2025.

During the filmed meeting, Castro's brother-in-law, Carlos Zelaya, was offered $650,000 by the drug traffickers to help her win the 2013 elections. Although she lost that election, when she eventually became president in 2022, one of her main promises was to combat drug trafficking and corruption.

Carlos Zelaya, brother of Castro's husband and former Honduran President Manuel Zelaya, admitted to meeting with drug traffickers in San Pedro Sula after being invited by "some businessmen."

Zelaya's admission came after InSight Crime spoke to a person who was present at the meeting. Although he claimed to know only one of the attendees and denied accepting any money, he announced his resignation as a congressman, stating that no money was delivered to him.

The 34-minute video, filmed with a spy camera in the watch of one of the drug traffickers, captures discussions of previous payments made to former President Manuel "Mel" Zelaya, husband of the current president, through intermediaries. In total, an estimated $2.5 million was involved, including a $650,000 contribution for Xiomara Castro's 2013 campaign.

The drug traffickers began recording meetings after Honduras passed a law allowing for the extradition of Hondurans involved in drug trafficking to the US. The drug trafficker who recorded the video in December 2013 later struck a deal with the US Drug Enforcement Administration and handed over the footage.

Xiomara Castro's abrupt decision to terminate the extradition treaty for drug traffickers between Honduras and the US, reportedly due to criticism from the US ambassador over a recent meeting with Venezuela's Minister of Defense, raises questions about her knowledge of her brother-in-law's involvement with drug traffickers.

The opposition party has declared a "permanent alert," citing the video with drug traffickers as a reason to terminate the extradition treaty to protect the Zelaya-Castro family from potential US prosecution.