On Monday authorities in Honduras arrested four people in connection with the murder of influential environmental activist Berta C谩ceres two months ago.
As part of an operation called "Jaguar," law enforcement arrested the four men, identified as Douglas Bustillo, Mariano Chavez, Sergio Ramon Orellana and Edilson Duarte Meza, based on "scientific evidence that support the allegations presented," according to a from Honduras' Public Ministry.
The arrests were the first arrests made in the murder of C谩ceres.
In 2015, the activist won the Goldman Environmental Prize for leading a movement to that would have cut off the ethnic Lenca people from water, food and medicine. The project was being developed by Desarrollos Energeticos SA (DESA), The Associated Press reports.
According to The Associated Press and the , two 鈥� possibly three 鈥� of the suspects arrested Monday are said to have ties to DESA.
La Prensa Hondurasreports that the other two suspects .
As the Two-Way , C谩ceres had been threatened for her activism before she was murdered:
"So much so that the the InterAmerican Commission for Human Rights had called on the government of Honduras to provide her with protection.
"La Prensa reports that police say C谩ceres was killed at a house they were not surveilling."
U.S. ambassador to Honduras James Nealon praised the arrests :
"We welcome the announcement of arrests in the murder of Berta C谩ceres.
"From the very beginning, we have called for a thorough investigation into Caceres' murder - one that followed the evidence and that would lead to those who committed the crime, including the intellectual authors.
"We will continue to follow closely as the suspects arrested today enter the judicial process, as well as any future arrests, and will continue to support this investigation in any way we can."
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