Honduras ex-president gets 45 years for drug crimes
Juan Orlando Hernández, the former president of Honduras, has been sentenced to 45 years in prison by a US court for drug-related crimes. Convicted in March of conspiring to import cocaine into the US and possessing destructive devices, including machine guns, Hernández was accused of running Honduras like a "narco-state" and accepting millions in bribes from drug traffickers to protect them from the law.
Prosecutors in New York depicted Hernández as facilitating a cocaine route to the US, safeguarded by machine guns, and characterized him as a power-hungry, "two-faced politician." Despite Hernández's claim of innocence and his accusations of being unjustly accused, US District Judge Kevin Castel, who presided over the case, rejected a motion for a retrial. The motion argued that the trial was tainted by incorrect testimony, but the judge found this error immaterial to the charge.
Hernández served as the president of Honduras from 2014 to 2022 and was initially viewed as a strong ally to the US in the fight against drug trafficking. However, evidence presented during the trial showed his long-standing connections with drug traffickers dating back to 2004. He facilitated the smuggling of around 500 tonnes of cocaine into the US and used drug money to bribe officials and manipulate presidential elections in his favor.
Several convicted drug traffickers testified against Hernández, alleging that he accepted bribes to allow the passage of cocaine through Honduras. Hernández's defense argued that the testimonies were self-serving lies. Despite his claims of being a victim of organized crime and political conspiracies, the overwhelming evidence, including witness testimonies and corroborating phone records, led to his conviction.
Hernández's sentencing also includes an $8 million fine. His appeal against the conviction is expected. This case marks another instance of a Latin American head of state being convicted of drug-related crimes in the US, following Panama's Manuel Noriega and Guatemala's Alfonso Portillo.
