Major Drug Trafficker Chepe Handal Arrested In Honduras

Drug trafficker is wanted by the U.S. government for his distribution of drugs to both the Sinaloa Cartel and the Zetas that ended up in the U.S.

By H. Nelson Goodson

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

March 15, 2015

San Pedro Sula, Honduras - On Thursday, José Miguel Handal Pérez, 40, aka, "Chepe Handal" a major cocaine trafficker and supplier to the Sinaloa Cartel and the Zetas was taken into custody. Handal Pérez was visiting his father at Cemesa, a clinic and nursing home when local police, federal and national security military forces surrounded the nursing home. The suspect was leaving the nursing home along with a bodyguard, another person and an 8-year-old child when authorities stopped him and after several hours Handal Pérez negotiated his surrender with his lawyer and federal authorities. No shots were reported fired, according to feds in Honduras.

Handal Pérez was wanted for drug trafficking charges since 2009 and authorities executed an October 2014 warrant from his arrest to face drug trafficking charges in Honduras.

In April 2013, Handal Pérez was designated as a drug trafficker under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act by the U.S. Treasury and prohibited U.S. citizens and companies from during business with his companies, Corporación Handal, which is comprised of various business ventures including a general merchandise and auto parts store, Supertiendas & Autopartes Handal, JM Troya, a motorcycle brand, and Cleopatra's, a clothing store.

Handal Pérez drug operation included smuggling multi-tons of cocaine from Colombia and distributed the drugs to the Sinaloa Cartel and the Zetas in Mexico, according to the U.S. Treasury.

On March 3, 2011, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida indicted Chepe Handal with one count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine with knowledge that it will be unlawfully imported into the United States.