Drug smuggling allegations – Ex-President of Honduras extradited to US – News

  • Two months after the end of Juan Orlando Hernández’s term as President of Honduras, the Supreme Court upheld his extradition to the United States.
  • Among other things, there are allegations of drug smuggling and the use of weapons – Hernández protests his innocence.

The Central American country’s highest court had already granted a request for extradition from a federal court in New York on March 16 – the court has now dismissed an appeal against Hernández’s deportation. The judges approve the extradition of the former president to the United States.

Legend:

Supporters of former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández rallied to support him at the Supreme Court. February 16, 2022

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Hernández was arrested on February 15 outside his home in the capital Tegucigalpa, as shown on live television. Since then he has been in custody. In a letter distributed by Honduran media, Hernández protested his innocence and presented himself as a victim of a conspiracy.

Co-conspirator in cocaine smuggling

The ex-president’s brother, Juan Antonio Hernández, was sentenced to life imprisonment in New York last March for a large-scale smuggling of cocaine into the United States.

Resigned as head of state and government


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With the swearing-in of his left-wing successor, Xiomara Castro, the conservative Hernández left the post of head of state and government on January 27 after two four-year terms. According to the constitution, he was not allowed to run again.

The then president was also charged in the proceedings – the public prosecutor described him as a co-conspirator. Among other things, he was accused by a witness of having received one million US dollars for his election campaign from the Mexican ex-drug boss Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán.

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