Honduran former president imprisoned in US over drug trafficking

The ex-president of Honduras, Juan Orlando Hernández, was found guilty in New York for working with drug dealers and using his military and police to let a lot of cocaine into the United States.

The jury made a decision in a federal court after a two-week trial. Many people in his home country were very interested in this trial. Hernandez was found guilty of planning to bring cocaine into the United States and having two illegal weapons. If found guilty, people have to go to prison for at least 40 years and could be there for the rest of their lives. The date for the sentencing is June 26th.

Hernandez, who is 55 years old and was the leader of a country in Central America with about 10 million people, patted his defense lawyer, Renato Stabile, on the back as they stood in the courtroom with everyone else while the jurors left after the verdict was read.

When almost 100 people who didn’t like Hernández heard the news, they clapped and started jumping in the air to celebrate.

In the courtroom, everyone was calm and Hernández looked relaxed as the jury foreperson announced the verdict on three counts. Sometimes, Hernández had his hands together in front of him or one leg over the other while each juror was asked to confirm the verdict. All of them did.

Judge P. Kevin Castel complimented the jurors for all agreeing on a decision, which was important for a guilty verdict.

“We live in a country where 12 people can’t agree on a pizza topping,” the judge said. He said his message would have been the same no matter what their decision was. “I’m in awe of you, that’s why. ”

Hernandez’s lawyer Sabrina Shroff said he will try to overturn the guilty decision.

In a statement issued by an American Lawyer Damian Williams, he wants the conviction to show corrupt politicians that they should make better choices.

He said that Hernández could have done a lot of good things for his home country Honduras. Instead, he decided to use his position and country for his own benefit and worked with big drug organizations to bring lots of cocaine to the United States.

Hernández was taken by the police from his home in Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras, three months after he stopped being the leader in 2022 and was sent to the U.S in April that year.

The United States. Prosecutors said Hernández worked with drug traffickers since 2004. They said he took millions of dollars in bribes as he advanced from a rural congressman to president of the National Congress and then to the country’s highest office.

Hernández admitted in court that drug money was given to almost all political parties in Honduras, but he said he didn’t take any bribes.

He said he went to the White House and met the President of the United States. The president portrayed himself as a leader in the fight against drugs and said he collaborated with the U.S to stop drugs from coming into the U.S

One time, he was told by the FBI that a drug gang wanted to kill him.

He said the people accusing him made up their stories to get lighter punishment for their own crimes.

“They all want to lie, and they are really good at it,” Hernández said.

However, the prosecution made fun of Hernández for appearing to say that he was the only truthful politician in Honduras.

prosecutors gave their final speech to the jury. Lawyer Jacob Gutwillig said to the group of people deciding the case that a dishonest Hernández made a way for cocaine to come into the United States very quickly and easily.

Stabile said his client has been wrongly accused and asked for a not guilty verdict.

Witnesses in the trial confessed to committing many murders and said Hernández helped powerful cocaine dealers, like El Chapo, who is now in prison for life.

Hernandez wore a suit during the trial and seemed calm as he answered questions through a translator. He kept saying “no sir” when asked if he ever gave bribes or promised to protect traffickers from being sent to the U.S

His brother, named Juan Antonio Hernández, who used to be a congressman in Honduras, was given a life sentence in 2021 in a court in Manhattan for being found guilty of drug charges.