Former Honduran president sentenced to 45 years for helping traffickers get tons of cocaine into U.S.

[Judi Lynn]

2. In 45-Year Drug Sentence, US Judge Calls JOH a "Two-faced Politician Hungry for Power"

EDUARDO MUNOZ

Thursday, June 27, 2024
Jeff Ernst

Former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernández was sentenced to 45 years in prison for drug trafficking by a New York judge on Wednesday. Hernández, 55, was president of Honduras for two terms from 2014 to 2022, during which he was considered a staunch U.S. ally in the war on drugs even after his own links to traffickers became apparent, such as in the 2019 trial of his brother and close political operative Tony.

“For more than a decade, the defendant abused his political power to operate Honduras—a country of roughly ten million people—as a narco-state,” said U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, Damian Williams, in the government’s sentencing submission.

“The defendant engaged in this egregious conduct while publicly posing as an ally of the United States in its efforts to combat the importation of narcotics that destroy countless lives in this country. But behind closed doors, the defendant protected the very traffickers he vowed to pursue,” said Williams, omitting the favorable treatment that the White House gave Hernández during that same period.

In March, a jury found Hernández guilty on drug trafficking conspiracy and two related weapons charges, following a nearly three-week trial that reiterated the well-known symbiotic relationship between drug traffickers and politicians in Honduras. During Wednesday's hearing, he maintained his innocence, citing his cooperation with U.S. authorities and anti-drug policies as proof. His lawyers had requested that he receive a minimum sentence of 40 years.
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In 2017, Hernández sought reelection despite a constitutional prohibition against it. By then, rumors of his brother Tony’s and his own links to drug traffickers were the topic of much debate in Honduras. The 2017 election was marred by violence and allegations of fraud, but Hernández ultimately declared himself the winner and received crucial support from the United States to legitimize his victory.

More:
https://elfaro.net/en/202406/centroamerica/27475/in-45-year-drug-sentence-us-judge-calls-joh-a-two-faced-politician-hungry-for-power