Delta Teams case: Court rejects house arrest for trafficking suspects

A court has rejected a request to change the preventive detention of four defendants involved in the Delta Teams human trafficking case to house arrest. The defendants include U.S. citizens Harold Joseph Green Jr. and William James Murdock, who face charges of human trafficking for sale, as well as Gary Lee Johnston and Honduran national Ramón Gustavo Trejo Nájera, accused of criminal association.

Defense attorney Andrés Urtecho argued that the legal term for preventive detention was nearing its expiration. However, the Sentencing Tribunal ruled that the time spent resolving previous appeals should be added to the detention period, extending the deadline to March 7, 2027. The defense intends to seek a formal opinion from the Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court regarding this extension.

The oral trial is currently being conducted under seal at the request of the Public Ministry to protect the integrity of the victim, Angie Peña, and to ensure that the disclosure of information does not compromise ongoing investigations.