Juan Orlando Hernandez, the former President of Honduras, was sentenced to 45 years in prison for international drug trafficking in New York. In March, he was found guilty of criminal conspiracy for drug trafficking and possession of weapons, accused of helping ship hundreds of tons of cocaine to the United States. Along with the sentence, Hernandez was also ordered to pay a fine of eight million dollars.
Hernandez had served as President from 2014 to 2022 and had been accused by US prosecutors of abusing his position to turn Honduras into a narco-state. The Justice Minister Merrick Garland stated that Hernandez had used his power to facilitate drug trafficking and caused harm to both the people of Honduras and the United States. However, Hernandez maintained his innocence and claimed that he was a victim of cartel revenge.
According to prosecutors, Hernandez participated in and protected a drug trafficking network that shipped approximately 400 tons of cocaine to the US between 2004 and 2022. Allegedly receiving millions of dollars in bribes from cartels, including the Sinaloa cartel led by Joaquin “Chapo” Guzman, Hernandez was accused of protecting drug traffickers from investigations and extradition.
The fall from grace for Hernandez was swift as he was arrested shortly after handing over power to the new left-wing president Xiomara Castro, chained at the wrists and ankles. He is now one among other former Latin American leaders tried and convicted in the US.
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