New York federal jury convicts former Honduras president on drug trafficking, conspiracy charges

The US Division of Justice (DOJ) introduced Friday {that a} federal jury in New York convicted former Honduras President Juan Orlando Hernández on three expenses for his involvement in a drug trafficking and cash laundering scheme. 

The jury convicted Hernández on all three expenses listed in his indictment. These expenses included conspiring to import cocaine into the US, which might carry a compulsory minimal sentence of 10 years. He was additionally charged with conspiring to and really utilizing machine weapons throughout and in furtherance of the cocaine importation conspiracy. All three expenses carry a most sentence of life in jail. The court docket scheduled Hernández’s sentencing for June 26.

In response to the conviction, US Lawyer Normal Merrick Garland said:

Juan Orlando Hernández abused his place as President of Honduras to function the nation as a narco-state the place violent drug traffickers have been allowed to function with digital impunity, and the individuals of Honduras and the US have been pressured to endure the results. As at the moment’s conviction demonstrates, the Justice Division is disrupting the whole ecosystem of drug trafficking networks that hurt the American individuals, regardless of how far or how excessive we should go.

In line with the indictment, from about 2004 to 2022, Hernández participated in a corrupt and violent drug-trafficking conspiracy to facilitate the importation of tons of of 1000’s of kilograms of cocaine into the US. He additionally acquired thousands and thousands of {dollars} to make use of his public workplace, legislation enforcement and the army to help drug-trafficking organizations in Honduras, Mexico and elsewhere.

In February 2022, Honduran authorities arrested and detained Hernández on the request of the US. In April 2022, Honduras extradited Hernández to the US for his trial after approval from the Supreme Courtroom of Honduras.

Hernández is a longtime politician who served as president of the Nationwide Congress from 2010 to 2014 after which as president of Honduras from 2014 till January 2022. Across the time he stepped down, federal prosecutors alleged that Hernández had helped ship 1000’s of kilos of cocaine into the US in trade for bribes. The previous president’s brother, Tony Hernández, is presently serving a life sentence in US jail for his involvement with drug trafficking.