Do any of the gangs bother expats?

I have read that the gangs make people pay a monthly fee to live in their own home?  Do they bother expats on the beach homes or is this just in the big cities?

Gangs pray on the week in any country. In Honduras..  are the same. Like in any city in The US or in Canada... You know where or not to go. This is a learning experience in even The US or Canada. Now, add a new country ... New lessons are or could be similar.

Just ask once you visit .. They're expats living, investing and retired on The Mainland of Honduras. Just ask them once you visit

The Gangs call it a war tax.  most likely they will not go into a gated community and shake down the residents but if you own a business then there is a possibility that they will pay you a visit.

They have never came up to any foreigner that owns a business that I know.

Since 2000, the U.S. Embassy has recorded over 100 murders of U.S. citizens. Several U.S. citizens have been murdered in San Pedro Sula and La Ceiba shortly after arriving in the country. These may have been based on tips from sources at airport arrival areas. In 2014, there were 10 murder cases of U.S. citizens; seven have resulted in arrests/prosecutions. Many of the cases over the last 14 years are still awaiting trial.

U.S. citizens are victims of crime at levels similar to those of the local population. There is no information to suggest that criminals specifically target U.S. citizens and other Westerners. Tourists traveling with tour groups report fewer criminal incidents. However, the San Pedro Sula area has seen armed robberies against tourist vans, minibuses, and cars traveling from the airport to area hotels, and there have also been armed robberies along the road to Copan. Armed men have forced vehicles transporting tourists off the road and robbed the victims, occasionally assaulting the driver or passengers.

Incidents of crime along roads, including carjacking and kidnapping, are also common. Several U.S. citizens have reported being robbed while walking on isolated beaches. The effect and threat of violent crime, including in neighborhoods where many Americans live/work, leads to the curtailment of some normal outdoor activities.

They may not shake you down in the eco resort but I bet they are shaking down the eco resort manager and that's why your HOA suddenly goes up.  gangs are bad

Key words "US Citizens".....Hondurans becoming US Citizens then going back to Honduras a lot with gang ties. Bad things happen to people in gangs.

I have not heard of this occurring. Businesses and especially transport companies have been hit hard by gangs and extortion. If your beach front property is located in a small town you should be fine!

- travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/alertswarnings/honduras-travel-warning.html

I am curious because this appears to be unusually high!

https://www.osac.gov/pages/ContentRepor … ?cid=17494      This surprises me because I have not heard of any where near this amount of homicides against Americans occurring!

Nelson ,  I too have read that Gangs will sometimes make people pay monthly "protection" just to live in their own homes.  The article I read that was a real problem in parts of Tegucigalpa, where the gangs are a big problem , but not so much in most of the rest of the country.  I am also familiar with the war tax, but I have not known any expats to be targeted.  But to answer the second part of your question , the gangs are a problem in ALL of honduras, including the resorts .  Security is a must in Honduras. The gangs do not target expats , or foreigners in general . They target anyone who is vulnerable. If your property is not secure or if you do not have reliable , faithful security,  you will have problems.  All of the resorts and beach commumities usually have armed security that the home owners pay for from monthly HOA dues, so its not a huge problem , but I have even heard stories of expats in beach communities getting robbed , though I dont know any personally.   I think that for the most part , Honduras is safe for expats to travel and live, but they should absolutely take their security seriously.  Woodrow is right.  I highly suggest that you subscribe to the US State Department's traveler alerts and warnings service.  You can subscribe to Honduras and the State Department will email you periodic updates of the situation in every part of Honduras, plus phone numbers of people to contact if you have a problem .Hope this helps

Nelson,

If you own a business they might! They killed the watchman next door because the chinos were not paying extortion. They began paying! I do not know any Americans who have had extortion threats. This does not mean that it could not happen!