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Supreme Court of Honduras ratified the extradition of former President Juan Orlando Hernández
This Monday the plenary session of the Supreme Court of Justice of Honduras ratified the extradition of former President Juan Orlando Hernández to the United States, a country where he is accused of three charges that have to do with the use of weapons and drug trafficking.
It should be noted that in January, the US asked the Central American country for the extradition of Orlando Hernández. The former president is being held in the National Directorate of Special Forces of the National Police as of February 15, however, the accused has declared himself innocent on several occasions of all the charges against him.
Hernández, 53, who held the presidency of his country between 2014 and 2022, expressed this Monday in a public letter that he is “innocent” and “victim of revenge and a conspiracy. I am sure that God will do me justice.”
The letter was published by his wife Ana García de Hernández, on her Twitter account, assuring that the former president wrote it "by his own handwriting" where, among other things, he assures that he suffers:
“A threat from the cartels is an orchestrated trap so that no government will confront them again. I only hope that justice is done, that the right that assists us people and nations is respected.”
Melvin Duarte, spokesman for the Judiciary, was in charge of informing the final decision of the Supreme Court, adding that the extradition was approved unanimously.
“After analyzing all the grievances and the elements presented by the technical defense in the appeal raised, (the plenary session) has decided that the appeal raised has not been upheld, which means that the decision of the judge of first instance to grant the appeal is confirmed. extradition of citizen Juan Orlando Hernández.”
It should be noted that Hernández was replaced in his position as president of Honduras by Xiomara Castro in January after eight years in office and in the first days of March a Honduran judge already authorized his extradition.
On the other hand, on February 7, the US State Department declassified a document that included Juan Orlando Hernández on a list of corrupt politicians with anti-democratic behavior.
In this document, which was written on July 1, 2021, it is explained that the former president of Honduras was involved in acts of corruption and had financed political campaigns with profits from illicit activities. such as drug trafficking.
It should be noted that because he was in presidential office, Hernández enjoyed parliamentary immunity and for this reason the declassification of the document signed by the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, was published as soon as his term ended.
Subsequently, on February 15, the Honduran National Police together with the United States Drug Control Administration (DEA) in a joint operation, captured Orlando Hernández and since then he has been in preventive detention.
It should be noted that in 2018, Juan Antonio Hernández, Orlando's brother, who was a national deputy at the time, was arrested in Miami (United States) accused of drug trafficking.
In 2021, a judge in New York City (USA) sentenced him to life in prison after convicting him of trafficking 150 tons of cocaine from Honduras to the North American country. It should be noted that in said trial it was exposed how the drug cartels had infiltrated all spheres of power.
Charges against the former president of Honduras
Juan Orlando Hernández is accused by the US justice system of three counts, and he could probably have the same fate as his brother.
The first “conspiracy to import a controlled substance into the United States, with the knowledge that such substance would be illegally imported into the United States within 12 miles of the United States coast. As he is also charged with manufacturing, distributing, and possessing with intent to distribute a controlled substance aboard an aircraft registered in the United States."
In the same way, the second charge is for:
“Using or carrying firearms, or aiding and abetting the use, power, and possession of machine guns and destructive devices in support of the narcotics importation conspiracy charged in count one.”
Finally, charge three refers to one:
“Conspiracy to use or carry firearms, including machine guns and destructive devices, during and in connection with, or possess firearms, including machine guns and destructive devices, in support of narcotics importation conspiracy.”
It should be noted that the US Embassy sent a report to the Honduran Foreign Ministry on February 14, stating that as of this moment, the US authorities can send their agents to search for Hernández.
