With over three decades of distinguished service, Army Major General Roosevelt Hernández Aguilar, serves as the chairman of the Honduran Armed Forces’ Joint Chiefs of Staff. During his extensive career, marked by his participation in critical national and international missions, ranging from United Nations observer duties in Western Sahara, to humanitarian aid and anti-crime operations, he held pivotal roles, including commander of the Military Police, where he pioneered social outreach programs for at-risk youth, and commander of the Army.
Diálogo had the opportunity to speak with Maj. Gen. Hernández, who discussed key priorities and advancements in Honduras’ fight against transnational criminal organizations. He emphasized mobility as a top priority, addressed collaboration with U.S. Southern Command, and the role of new Airbus H145 helicopters in environmental protection, among other topics.
Diálogo: What are your priorities this year in the fight against transnational criminal organizations?
Major General Roosevelt Hernández, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Honduran Armed Forces: We have many priorities, but mobility is a top one. It allows us to cover more territory, assert sovereignty, and confront crimes such as drug trafficking, environmental destruction, or irregular migration. This allows our troops to be where they need to be, because our presence acts as a deterrent.
Honduras is very mountainous, so we’ve equipped our troops with trucks, double-cab pickups, and motorcycles for groups of 10 soldiers. We adapted this for the fight against drug trafficking and for environmental protection through our three environmental protection battalions. This ensures maximum coverage without sacrificing troop concentration. Previously we operated on foot. Mobility has been a priority and has yielded results, along with our research and development efforts.
We’ve developed capabilities that we are implementing. We have our own military rations, which give our troops greater autonomy, allowing them to operate for longer periods of time without cooking equipment. This independence aids in operations and certain principles of warfare like maintaining the element of surprise.
We are currently in the trial phase of building a radar. We’ve worked on this for a year and hope to have it ready soon. This has been important, and we believe it will significantly strengthen our capabilities in the fight against drug trafficking.
Mobility remains key, especially due to our terrain. We have coastal detachments to prevent sea-borne drug entry, equipped with motorcycles for beach patrols. This deters drug trafficking in coastal towns that previously had no presence. Last year, through the Navy’s Special Maritime Unit, with support from the United States and our Public Ministry, we seized more than 20 tons of drugs in the Caribbean Sea. We also detected and eradicated coca plantations in our country, a new development. Our enhanced mobility, achieved by equipping troops to cover large areas, facilitates this ongoing fight against drug trafficking. Additionally, drones help us find these plantations.
Diálogo: In January, the United States government designated several criminal gangs and cartels, including Mara Salvatrucha or MS13, as foreign terrorist organizations. How does this designation affect the work of the Honduran Armed Forces, and how can it support the regional fight against transnational criminal gangs?
Maj. Gen. Hernández: I believe that the U.S. government, through President Trump, has made a good decision. It supports us by creating a domino effect, offering a good opportunity to neutralize and eradicate this social evil. These gangs are exploited by criminal structures such as drug trafficking, serving as their parallel armies.
We hope this encourages other countries to make similar designations in their legislation. Honduras had considered it before, but it was not possible. We believe President Trump’s leadership will prompt other countries, easing the work of institutions like the armed forces, national police, and public prosecutor’s office.
Diálogo: In February, Honduras launched the Training Center for Specialized Jungle and Night Operations Troops (CAT), located in Francisco Morazán. What is the importance of this training center for the Honduran Armed Forces’ elite TESON unit?
Maj. Gen. Hernández: The TESON specialized jungle and night operations troop course was originally created with the United States during the Cold War to counter communism and guerrilla groups in Honduras. This counter-guerrilla course helped neutralize the growth of these cells. TESON remained a course until 2024, when we decided to create the CAT, a permanent TESON training center. Previously, courses were temporary, with rotating instructors, leading to inconsistent expertise and even accidents. Now, courses focus on the fight against drug trafficking, adapting dynamically to current needs. We maintain pressure during the course to ensure effectiveness in challenging situations. The goal is to achieve professionalization. We have a permanent director and dedicated TESON instructor staff. They also train troops from different units at the center, where they take a course similar to TESON at the troop level. And when the TESON course is given, they already have the expertise, experience, and permanence, which we believe will build trust at the international level with other Central American countries.
Diálogo: What types of exchanges do members of the TESON unit have with U.S. Southern Command’s Joint Task Force Bravo (JTF-Bravo), based in Soto Cano?
Maj. Gen. Hernández: All our officers easily connect with JTF-Bravo members. At the moment, for example, the Air Force is nearby, and JTF-Bravo Commander Colonel Daniel Alder proposed to create a crisis management operations center to manage forest fires, natural disasters, and fight drug trafficking, particularly in the La Mosquitia area.
Diálogo: In early January, the Honduran Air Force received two Airbus H145 helicopters to support the environmental protection battalions that fight drug trafficking and protect forest reserves. What progress has been made in the fight against drug trafficking and related environmental crimes?
Maj. Gen. Hernández: The helicopters have completed training and are now supporting the environmental protection battalions, which are under the Forest Protection Command (C-9). They coordinate aerial firefighting using the Bambi Bucket technique, making up to 30 water drops per fire. Ground operations are also producing results.
Fortunately, this year’s summer hasn’t been as intense as last year’s. Thanks to the Forest Command and its three environmental protection battalions, we’ve protected many areas. They conduct land and air reconnaissance. If illegal settlements are found, they coordinate with the Public Ministry to issue vacate notices. If residents don’t leave, they are forcibly removed, and their belongings destroyed. We find this deforestation, which they claim is for cattle ranching or agriculture, is sometimes coca leaf plantations. We believe our efforts have been effective. In 2024, we had a permanent layer of smoke for almost two months that year. This year, the climate has been definitely more favorable.
Diálogo: What activities, engagements, and exercises do the Honduran Armed Forces have planned this year with their U.S. counterparts, and more specifically with U.S. Southern Command?
Maj. Gen. Hernández: We’ll participate in Fuerzas Comando in El Salvador. We recently acquired and received new weapons and are preparing for this important activity to maintain that connection with the U.S. military. Similarly, we’re preparing for exercise CENTAM Guardian 2026. We have continuous working meetings and exercises with JTF-Bravo to prevent forest fires. We’re also preparing to host CENTAM Guardian 2027. The United States is very willing to offer different courses, which help us maintain active connections at the officer and noncommissioned officer levels and also makes it easier for us to learn about the doctrine of the United States.
