During the past 14 months I have visited some of the most dangerous cities in the Americas. Some left me anxious to leave quickly, while others didn’t seem that bad. Yet none were as lawless as I found Honduras’ capital, Tegucigalpa, to be.

I have completely fallen in love with this beautiful country and its people. While traveling there never did I feel in any sort of danger. Unfortunately, my time in the country made evident how much the drug traffic controls this land.

“You don’t go out at night, don’t get into a random taxi and be very careful when walking around during the day,” Don Julio, my taxi driver said the fist day we met.

Don Julio is a friend of a friend who was arranged to take me around the city. His cautious advice was about the 10th I heard after arriving in Tegucigalpa.

“The gangs have completely taken over,” Don Julio told me.

These gangs are linked to Mexican cartels and have become just as ruthless.

Although most of the violence is restricted to gang war, regular Hondurans are the ones financing this fight.

“Every year I pay close to $1000 dollars in “war tax” to be able to park my taxi near the university,” said Don Julio.

Every week Don Julio must give a man who arrives in an SUV carrying an AK47 a blank envelope with the “war tax” or “Imposto de Guerra.” According to a report printed by Honduras’ congress this year, more than 30 million dollars are collected from business owners yearly. This money taken from hotels, taxi drivers, and stores is what allows gangs to get bigger and bigger – armed to the teeth with state of the art weapons.

What happens if one refuses to pay the tax?

“They will kill you right there on the spot and in some cases your entire family,” Don Julio said.

Every year more than 1500 business’ close down in the capital because they are unable to pay the “war tax.” These are hard working men and women who pay the government regular taxes and work extremely hard but have to shut their doors do to fear.