In a landmark ruling, former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández was sentenced to 45 years in prison by a New York court for his role in international drug trafficking and related weapons offenses. Hernández, who led Honduras from 2014 to 2022, was found guilty of conspiring to import cocaine into the United States and aiding in the operation of a ‘narco-state’. Additionally, he was ordered to pay an $8 million fine and will be subject to 5 years of supervised release following his prison term.During his trial, evidence was presented that Hernández had accepted bribes from drug traffickers, including Mexican drug lord Joaquín ‘Chapo’ Guzmán, to protect cocaine shipments and use the Honduran military and police for smuggling operations. The prosecution argued that Hernández’s actions allowed over 400 tons of cocaine to reach the U.S.. Despite his consistent denial of the charges and claims of being unfairly targeted, the jury found him guilty in March after a two-week trial.The sentence reflects the gravity of Hernández’s crimes and marks a significant victory for U.S. efforts to combat drug trafficking. It also sends a strong message to other corrupt leaders that they are not immune to accountability. Hernández’s conviction follows a pattern of former Latin American heads of state being prosecuted in the U.S. for similar crimes.
Key points
- Juan Orlando Hernández was sentenced to 45 years in prison for his role in drug trafficking and weapons offenses.
- He was found guilty of facilitating the smuggling of hundreds of thousands of kilograms of cocaine into the U.
- Hernández has been ordered to pay an $8 million fine and faces 5 years of supervised release after his prison term.
- The conviction is a significant victory for the U.
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and operating Honduras as a ‘narco-state’.
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in its efforts to combat drug trafficking and corruption among Latin American leaders.
