Honduras probes witness identity leak after protected witness murdered

Honduran security forces are investigating a possible leak of a protected witness's identity in the 2022 disappearance of university student Angie Peña. The witness, Dereck McNeil, was murdered on the island of Roatán earlier this week, sparking concern about how his protected status was revealed.

"We have been trying to understand how the information that this person was actually a protected witness in this specific case was leaked," said Security Minister Gerzon Velásquez. McNeil was killed by armed men on a motorcycle. Velásquez expressed his concern, stating that authorities must determine how McNeil's status became public and if the information originated from institutions involved in Peña's case.

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We have been trying to understand how the information that this person was actually a protected witness in this specific case was leaked.

Angie Peña vanished on January 1, 2022, while riding a jet ski in Roatán. Initially, police suspected accidental drowning, but her family's insistence on foul play led to a criminal investigation. Days later, Peña's life vest and belongings were found on a cayo in Belize. The protected witness program is managed by the Public Ministry, and sometimes even the National Police are unaware of the identities of those under protection.

Walter Peña, Angie's father, lamented McNeil's death and questioned the state's ability to ensure witness protection. He also voiced fears for the safety of other witnesses in the case, vowing to continue demanding answers in his daughter's disappearance. The investigation into the leak will proceed through internal police control mechanisms, though no officers are currently implicated.

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We have been trying to understand how the information that this person was actually a protected witness in this specific case was leaked.