Photo Credit:AP
Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández has been sentenced to 45 years in prison and fined $8 million by a U.S. judge for drug trafficking offenses. Despite his conviction, Hernández maintains his innocence, insisting during his sentencing on Wednesday that he was “wrongly and unjustly accused.”
In March, a New York jury found Hernández guilty on three drug trafficking charges after a two-week trial in Manhattan federal court. He was extradited from Honduras in 2022 following charges filed by the U.S. Department of Justice, which included drug-trafficking and firearms-related offenses.
Prosecutors accused the 55-year-old former president of conspiring with drug cartels to move over 400 tons of cocaine through Honduras towards the United States. In return, Hernández allegedly received millions of dollars in bribes, which he used to bolster his political career.
Hernández served as president of Honduras from 2014 to 2022. During his tenure, the U.S. Justice Department claimed he “protected and enriched the drug traffickers in his inner circle,” using his executive power to support extraditions to the U.S. of specific traffickers who threatened his power while safeguarding those who paid him and adhered to his directives.
Prosecutors highlighted that the conspiracy in which Hernández was involved relied on the Honduran National Police to secure cocaine shipments as they transited through the country. This protection allowed traffickers to operate with near impunity, effectively turning Honduras into a "narco-state".
In a statement, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said, “Hernández abused his position as president of Honduras to operate the country as a narco-state where violent drug traffickers were allowed to operate with virtual impunity, and the people of Honduras and the United States were forced to suffer the consequences.”
The conviction and sentencing of Hernández mark a significant step in the international effort to combat drug trafficking and corruption at the highest levels of government. However, it also underscores the ongoing challenges in addressing systemic issues within the region.
