Former Honduras President Juan Orlando Hernandez Found Guilty In Drug Trafficking Case

Tegucigalpa [Honduras]: Juan Orlando Hernandez, the former president of Honduras, was found guilty on Friday of drug trafficking by an American jury following a two-week trial in federal court in Manhattan, CNN reported.

Hernandez, 55, was charged by prosecutors with coordinating with criminal traffickers to transport over 400 tons of cocaine from Honduras to the United States while he was in office.

Prosecutors claimed that Hernandez accepted millions of dollars in bribes in return, which he utilized to further his ascent to prominence in Honduran politics. From 2014 until 2022, Hernandez presided over Honduras as president.

Following the conclusion of his second term in office, he was extradited to the US in 2022 on allegations of conspiring to import cocaine into the country, conspiring to possess firearms and other explosive devices for drug trafficking, and having this kind of weapon in his possession while participating in the drug trafficking conspiracy.

For all the charges, he may receive a maximum term of life in jail.

Using his executive authority to support the extradition of some drug traffickers to the US "who threatened his grip on power," Hernandez "protected and enriched the drug traffickers in his inner circle" during his years in office, according to the Justice Department, reported CNN.

Hernandez also "promised drug traffickers who paid him and followed his instructions that they would remain in Honduras."

Additionally, according to the prosecution, Hernandez's accomplices in the scheme depended on the Honduran National Police to guard cocaine packages as they traveled across the nation. Earlier this week, Hernandez testified in his own defence and refuted the accusations made against him.

A lawyer for Hernandez said Friday they would appeal the conviction.

"He's still strong, but he's quite disillusioned," Raymond Colon, the attorney, said of the former president, as per CNN.

Calling Hernandez "a noble man who fought for the same goals that the US had in terms of the war against drugs," he continued by saying, "It's a tragedy."