Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez found guilty in US drug trafficking case

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(NEW YORK) — Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez was convicted Friday in a Manhattan federal court on drug trafficking charges.

Hernandez, who served as president of Honduras from 2014 to 2022, had been charged by U.S. authorities with drug trafficking and weapons offenses that linked him to tons of cocaine imported into the United States over the last two decades.

Two co-defendants pleaded guilty, including a former Honduran police chief, Juan Carlos Bonilla, and Hernandez’s cousin Mauricio Hernandez.

Hernandez claimed the prosecution was the result of drug traffickers smearing him to get revenge for his crackdown on the drug trade. According to federal prosecutors, Honduras became a narco-state under his leadership.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

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