On Thursday, April 21, a discredited former Honduran president was extradited to the United States to face drug and gun accusations.
Former President Juan Orlando Hernández was handcuffed as he boarded a plane with authorities from the United States Drug Enforcement Administration to face court procedures in New York City.
He is charged with narcotics importation and firearms charges in a three-count indictment.
Hernandez was accused of being part of a “corrupt and violent drug-trafficking conspiracy to facilitate the entry of tons of cocaine into the United States,” according to court filings.
Hernandez is accused of receiving millions of cash from criminal gangs, including from famed Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, according to prosecutors. They claim he used the money to fund his political campaigns and commit voter fraud in Honduran presidential elections in 2013 and 2017.
In February, Hernández was detained at his residence in Tegucigalpa at the request of US authorities. Many Hondurans had never imagined seeing him chained and paraded in front of journalists.
Ex-Honduran President Hernandez, handcuffed, extradited to U.S. on drug charges
His appeal of a judge’s decision in favor of extradition was denied by Honduras’ Supreme Court.
Prosecutors in the United States have accused Hernández of using money from drug traffickers to fund his political climb. The payments were allegedly provided in exchange for Honduran officials allowing them to operate or information that would assist them avoid interdiction.
Hernández has denied any misconduct on numerous occasions. “I am innocent; I have been and I am being unjustly exposed to prosecution,” he said in a video message broadcast Thursday.
He claims he was a victim of drug traffickers who he extradited and who are now lying in order to get retribution.
While the extradition was an embarrassment for Honduras, it was also a historic day, according to Henry Osorto Canales, a retired National Police commissioner who is now an analyst.
“This is a start since it has started with the country’s main political piece, and presumably the rest of the parts will fall, at least those closest to Hernández,” Osorto added.
In the same U.S. court, Hernández’s brother, Tony Hernández, a former congressman, was sentenced to life in prison on precisely the same charges.
Juan Orlando Hernández was elected president in January 2014 and served until January of this year, when Xiomara Castro was sworn in as his successor. Castro campaigned on eradicating Honduras’ corruption, with Hernández being the most prominent target.
On Wednesday, Honduras’ Supreme Court dismissed an appeal filed by Juan Carlos Bonilla Valladares, commonly known as “El Tigre” or “The Tiger,” the former head of the National Police. He was arrested shortly after Hernández on similar allegations at the behest of US authorities and is anticipated to be extradited in the coming weeks.
Bonilla, along with Hernández and his brother Tony Hernández, both co-conspirators in the case in the Southern District of New York, is accused of assisting the movement of tons of cocaine through Honduras, according to US authorities.