Former Honduras President Found Guilty of 'Drug Trafficking' in the US

Former President Hernandez Found Guilty in U.S. Federal Court
Prosecutors: "Protected Drug Cartel and Smuggled Large Quantities of Cocaine"

Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez was found guilty in the United States on charges of involvement in drug trafficking.

According to AP News and others, a New York federal court jury on the 8th (local time) delivered a guilty verdict against former President Hernandez, who was charged with conspiracy to traffic drugs and other related offenses.

Hernandez, who served two terms as president from 2014 to 2022, was once considered a key U.S. ally in the war on drugs. He cooperated with both Republican and Democratic administrations in the United States.

During Hernandez's presidency, Honduras received $50 million in drug control aid and military and security support from the U.S. Former President Donald Trump praised Hernandez in 2019, saying, "Hernandez is working closely with the United States," highlighting his contributions to the war on drugs and immigration issues.

However, since 2019, allegations have surfaced that Hernandez was involved in drug crimes. He was suspected of conspiring with drug organizations from 2004 until recently to smuggle cocaine from Colombia and Venezuela into the United States.

Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez is being extradited to the United States in 2022 to face trial on drug trafficking charges.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

The U.S. federal prosecutors found that Hernandez even mobilized police forces during the drug trafficking operations. Additionally, claims emerged that his brother and former congressman, Tony Hernandez, bribed drug criminals to block investigations on behalf of former President Hernandez.

Ultimately, Hernandez was arrested in February 2022 and extradited to the United States in April of the same year aboard a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) aircraft from an air force base in Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras. This occurred just three months after he handed over power to President Xiomara Castro and stepped down.

Charged in a U.S. federal court, Hernandez admitted that money from drug trafficking organizations effectively flowed into all political parties in Honduras but denied bribery charges claiming he received payments.

During the trial, federal prosecutors stated, "Hernandez led a double life," and added, "Even notorious drug trafficking organizations, including former Mexican cartel leader Joaquin Guzman, lined up to seek Hernandez’s protection for their shipments."

AFP reported that "If former President Hernandez is convicted in a U.S. court, he could face life imprisonment." His brother was already sentenced to life in prison by a U.S. court in 2022 and is currently serving his sentence.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.