On October 5, 2024, the Honduran police announced the arrest of the alleged material author and an accomplice in the murder of environmentalist Juan López. Attorney General Johel Zelaya stated that the investigation is supported by technical and scientific evidence.
López, a staunch opponent of open-pit mining, had reported damage to the Botaderos forest reserve and local rivers, including Guapinol and San Pedro, near Tocoa. The police seized a motorcycle believed to have been used in the crime and are conducting further raids for additional arrests.
Director of the National Police, Juan Manuel Aguilar, confirmed the arrested individuals as Oscar Alexis Guardado Alvarenga, 27, and Lenin Adony Cruz Munguía, 30. López had recently called for the resignation of Tocoa's mayor, Adán Fúnez, amid a bribery scandal involving drug traffickers, which implicated Carlos Zelaya, brother-in-law of President Xiomara Castro. The mayor denies any involvement in López's murder.
López had been under protective measures from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights since October 2023 due to threats against him and other environmentalists in the region. In a November 2021 interview, he highlighted the dangers faced by environmentalists in Honduras, stating, 'When one enters this country to defend common goods [...] one comes into conflict with major interests.'