Juan Orlando Hernandez was discovered responsible of taking tens of millions of {dollars} in bribes to cowl up drug shipments to the US
Former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernandez was sentenced by a US choose on Wednesday to 45 years in jail and ordered to pay an $8 million high quality for serving to drug traffickers transfer tons of of tons of cocaine to the US – a cost he denies.
The 55-year-old had been held at a jail in New York since being extradited to the US in April 2022. US prosecutors accused Hernandez of teaming up with highly effective drug cartels, as they moved greater than 400 tons of cocaine to the US by way of the Central American nation, throughout his tenure.
“I’m harmless,” Hernandez stated at his sentencing. “I used to be wrongly and unjustly accused.”
In March, a Manhattan jury discovered the previous chief responsible of accepting tens of millions of {dollars} in bribes to guard drug trafficking rings that he publicly claimed to be combating.
The choose concluded that Hernandez employed “appreciable performing abilities” to make it appear that he was an anti-drug trafficking campaigner.
Prosecutors additionally stated that as a part of the scheme, Honduran Nationwide Police have been used to protect the cocaine commerce. In keeping with them, Hernandez had labored with drug traffickers since 2004 and obtained tens of millions of {dollars} in bribes.
US Legal professional Normal Merrick Garland stated in an announcement on Wednesday that Hernandez “abused his place as president of Honduras to function the nation as a narco-state the place violent drug traffickers have been allowed to function with digital impunity.”
Throughout a two-week trial, prosecutors additionally claimed Hernandez used drug cash to bribe officers and manipulate voting outcomes throughout the Honduran presidential elections in 2013 and 2017. A number of convicted traffickers, who stood as trial witnesses, testified they bribed Hernandez, and claimed he was accountable for murders and assisted among the world’s strongest cocaine sellers.
The US choose stated the variety of murders associated to drug trafficking throughout Hernandez’ political profession was “staggering.” He cited one drug trafficking witness as admitting throughout the trial that he assisted in 56 killings, whereas one other stated the previous president was concerned in 78 murders.
Prosecutors had requested for a life sentence, arguing that the penalty would function a warning to different politicians who use their energy to guard legal teams.
Hernandez was president of Honduras from 2014 till 2022, when he was arrested at his house in Tegucigalpa three months after leaving workplace, and extradited to the US.
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