Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez has been sentenced to 45 years in prison and given an $8 million fine by a US judge for drug trafficking offenses. Hernandez, who served as president of Honduras from 2014 until 2022, has been found guilty of conspiring with drug cartels during his tenure, facilitating the movement of over 400 tons of cocaine through Honduras towards the United States.
Despite denying the charges against him, Hernandez was convicted on three drug trafficking charges by a jury in New York after a two-week trial in Manhattan federal court. The US Department of Justice filed three drug-trafficking and firearms related charges against him in 2022, leading to his extradition from Honduras.
Prosecutors alleged that Hernandez received millions of dollars in bribes from drug cartels, which he used to advance his political career in Honduras. They also accused him of using his executive power to protect and enrich drug traffickers in his inner circle, while promising those who paid him that they could continue their operations in Honduras.
Members of the conspiracy in which Hernandez participated reportedly relied on the Honduran National Police to safeguard cocaine shipments as they traversed the country. US Attorney General Merrick Garland condemned Hernandez's actions, stating that he had abused his position as president to turn Honduras into a narco-state, allowing violent drug traffickers to operate with impunity.
During his sentencing, Hernandez maintained his innocence, claiming that he had been wrongly accused. However, the judge handed down a 45-year prison term and an $8 million fine, emphasizing the severity of the drug trafficking offenses committed by the former president.
