Honduran justice gave the green light on Wednesday March 16 to the extradition of former President Juan Orlando Hernandez (2014-2022) to the United States, where he must be tried for drug trafficking, announced on Twitter the Supreme Court of Justice (CSJ) of Honduras. “The trial extradition judge decides (of)accept the extradition request presented by the Court of the Southern District of New York concerning the former President of the Republic Juan Orlando Hernandez Alvarado”announced the CSJ.
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This decision is subject to appeal within the next three days, said a spokesman for the judiciary, Melvin Duarte. In this case, it would be the Supreme Court sitting in plenary session that would have the last word.
Under the terms of the extradition request, American justice wants to try the former head of state, in particular for “conspiracy” for importing drugs into the United States and “Possession of firearms, including machine guns and destruction equipment to aid conspiracy to import narcotics”. Also according to the extradition request, Juan Orlando Hernandez “participated (from 2004 to 2022) in the violent drug trafficking conspiracy for the receipt of many tons of cocaine sent to Honduras from Colombia and Venezuela, among others, by air or sea”.
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“The conspiracy transported more than 500 tons of cocaine to the United States via Honduras”, adds the extradition request. According to US prosecutors in charge of the case in New York, the former head of state of Honduras received millions of dollars from various drug trafficking organizations in Honduras, Mexico, and other countries. In exchange for these bribes, Juan Orlando Hernandez “protected drug traffickers from investigations (avoiding them) arrest and extradition”, assure the American authorities. In 2013 Juan Orlando “Hernández accepted about a million dollars from drug trafficker Joaquin Guzmán Loera, alias El Chapo”they add.
During the trial in the United States of Juan Orlando Hernandez’s brother, ex-Congressman “Tony” Hernandez, New York prosecutors believe that the former president was involved in the drug trafficking for which “Tony” Hernandez was was sentenced in March 2021 to life imprisonment. Known in Honduras by the initials of his name – “JOH” – the former conservative president is a 53-year-old lawyer. He handed over power on January 27 to left-wing president Xiomara Castro. President for eight years, he presented himself during his two terms as the champion of the fight against drug trafficking destined for the United States.