The Supreme Court of Justice (CSJ) of Honduras authorized on Monday the extradition to the United Statesgone from the former president John Orlando Hernandez (2014-2022), where he will be prosecuted for drug trafficking, a crime that in that country can be punished with up to life imprisonment.
After analyzing all the elements, the Court “has resolved that the appeal filed [por la defensa del ex presidente]”, which means “that the decision of the judge of first instance, to grant the extradition of citizen Juan Orlando Hernández, is confirmed”, said the spokesman for the Judiciary, Melvin Duarte.
Ten days ago, a judge from Tegucigalpa extradited to the United States former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernández, wanted to be prosecuted for drug trafficking and illegal use of weapons.
“First Instance Extradition Judge resolves: grant extradition request submitted by the Court of the Southern District of New York for former President of the Republic Juan Orlando Hernández Alvarado”The Supreme Court of Justice reported on Twitter.
The decision could still be appealed within three days, Judiciary spokesman Melvin Duarte had said. In that case, it would be the plenary of magistrates of the Supreme Court that has the final voice.
In the extradition request, the United States accused Hernández of crimes such as “conspiracy (…) to import controlled substance” and “possessing firearms, including machine guns and destructive devices, in support of a narcotics importation conspiracy.”
According to the request, between 2004 and 2022 “Hernández participated in the violent drug trafficking conspiracy to receive shipments of multiple tons of cocaine sent to Honduras from Colombia and Venezuela, among other places, by air and sea routes.”
“The conspiracy transported more than approximately 500,000 kilograms of cocaine through Honduras bound for the United States,” he adds.
According to the US prosecutors handling the case in New York, the former president received millions of dollars in bribes and profits from multiple drug trafficking organizations in Honduras, Mexico and other places.
“In exchange for it, Hernández protected drug traffickers from investigation, arrest and extradition“, Explain.
In 2013 “Hernández accepted approximately US$1,000,000 in drug proceeds from Joaquín Guzmán Loera, alias “El Chapo”, adds the document.
New York prosecutors linked the former president to drug trafficking during the trial against his brother, the former deputy “Tony” Hernándezwho was sentenced in March 2021 to life in prison for that crime.
JOH, as he is known by the initials of his name, is a 53-year-old right-wing lawyer, who left office on January 27 to the leftist Xiomara Castro. He was president for eight years and before that he led Parliament, in positions where he showed loyalty to the United States in the fight against drug trafficking.
(With information from AFP)
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