TEGUCIGALPA, June 3, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Authorities in Honduras said Tuesday they had arrested the man they believe masterminded the killings of 19 workers at a palm plantation last month.

The killings took place in Rigores, in the restive Bajo Aguan region of Honduras, where rival gangs have fought over control of palm farms and drug trafficking routes.

Carlos Molina -- also known as El Gato Negro, or the Black Cat -- is suspected of planning and providing material support for the massacre, Security Minister Gerzon Velasquez told reporters.

At least six people carried out the plot masterminded by the 27-year-old Molina, but none of them have been apprehended.

On the same day in mid-May, five Honduran police were killed near the border with Guatemala.

Lawmakers in Honduras recently approved a series of reforms to confront criminal violence in Honduras, where the homicide rate is 24 killings for every 100,000 inhabitants.

The new measures authorize the military to participate in public security tasks and create a new anti-organized crime unit.

The reforms also open up the possibility of categorizing gangs and drug cartels as terrorist groups.