Verdict delayed in Honduras sex-trafficking case linked to disappearance

What the report says

A court in Honduras has delayed until November 20 its expected verdict in a sex-trafficking case tied to the 2022 disappearance of Angie Pena, according to Al Jazeera’s reporting based on The Associated Press. The judiciary said it needed more time to review evidence and wait for a court interpreter to return to the country. The postponement adds another delay to a case that has drawn public attention and criticism over transparency and possible impunity in transnational crime.

Four men are on trial in connection with Pena’s disappearance: two US citizens, Harold Green and William James Murdock, who face human-trafficking charges; another US citizen, Gary Lee Johnston; and Honduran citizen Gustavo Trejo, who are accused of criminal association. Honduran prosecutors say the group was part of a wider network involved in drug trafficking and sex trafficking, including crimes against minors. Authorities have also sought an Interpol notice for another US suspect, Antony Frank Grayson. Defense lawyers have denied the accusations and asked for acquittal.

Pena disappeared on January 1, 2022, after leaving West Bay on the island of Roatan on a jet ski while vacationing with her family. What began as a search-and-rescue effort later shifted into a trafficking investigation after the jet ski was found in Belize. The case has also been linked to broader concerns about corruption, including claims that police and at least one judge may have helped the network, though those officials were not named.

Relatives and human-rights advocates say the closed proceedings and recent death of a protected witness have deepened concern about the handling of the case. More broadly, the episode has highlighted Honduras’s struggle with trafficking networks and public distrust in institutions, according to comments cited by Al Jazeera.