U.S. arrests and indicts former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández

U.S. authorities have arrested and indicted former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández on drug and trafficking prices, after he was extradited to america Thursday.

Hernández faces prices of cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine weapons and damaging gadgets, and conspiracy to own machine weapons and damaging gadgets.

“From at the least in or about 2004, as much as and together with in or about 2022, Hernandez participated in a corrupt and violent drug-trafficking conspiracy to facilitate the importation of tons of cocaine into america,” the indictment reads. “As a part of the conspiracy, Juan Orlando Hernandez … obtained thousands and thousands of {dollars} from a number of drug-trafficking organizations in Honduras, Mexico and elsewhere, together with from the previous chief of the Sinaloa Cartel, Joaquin Guzman Loera, a/ok/a ‘El Chapo.'”

The indictment goes on to say, “Hernandez used these drug-trafficking proceeds to counterpoint himself, finance his political campaigns, and commit voter fraud, together with in reference to the 2013 and 2017 Honduran presidential elections.” 

And in alternate, Hernandez protected drug traffickers, together with his brother, the indictment claims. 

“This case ought to ship a message — to all political leaders world wide that commerce on positions of affect to additional transnational organized crime — that the DEA will cease at nothing to research these circumstances and dismantle drug trafficking organizations that threaten the security and well being of the American individuals,” mentioned Drug Enforcement Administration Administrator Anne Milgram.

The Honduran authorities carried out Hernández’s extradition Thursday, and he was dropped at New York by authorities to face prices, in line with a senior U.S. official. Honduras’ highest courtroom cleared the way in which final month for Hernández to be despatched to the U.S. after rejecting Hernández’s attraction to cease the extradition. 

Hernández was president from 2014 till his second time period concluded in January. He was arrested in Honduras’ capital metropolis of Tegucigalpa in February.