Juan Orlando Hernandez was sentenced to 45 years in prison by a New York court on Wednesday, June 26. The former Honduran President was found guilty in March of aiding drug cartels in trafficking hundreds of tons of cocaine into the US. Alongside the prison term, he was also fined $8 million (approximately €7.5 million).
Despite prosecutors seeking a life sentence, the 55-year-old's age suggests he will likely spend the remainder of his life behind bars. Judge P. Kevin Castel emphasized that the sentence should serve as a warning to individuals in positions of power who believe their status will shield them from accountability.
In court on Wednesday, Hernandez declared his innocence through an interpreter, asserting he was wrongly accused and indicating plans to appeal the conviction. Outside the New York courthouse, protesters gathered, advocating for an end to the drug trade and honoring those who lost their lives in Honduras due to its consequences.
According to US federal prosecutors, Hernandez presided over a period where Honduras was characterized as a "narco-state" during his presidency from 2014 to 2022. The conviction in March implicated him in facilitating the trafficking of approximately 500 tons of cocaine, originating mostly from Colombia or Venezuela, through Honduras to the US. His involvement allegedly began as early as 2004, well before assuming office.
Prosecutors alleged Hernandez used drug money to enrich himself, fund his political campaigns, and manipulate electoral outcomes in the 2013 and 2017 presidential elections. Extradited to the US in 2022 after leaving office, Hernandez portrayed himself in court as a champion in the fight against drug trafficking, claiming collaboration with three former US presidents towards this goal.
However, Judge Castel dismissed Hernandez's claims, describing him as a deceptive politician driven by a hunger for power. The judge criticized Hernandez for using Honduran law enforcement and military resources to protect drug trafficking activities while presenting a facade of cooperation with the US.
Hernandez joins a list of other Latin American former heads of state convicted of drug trafficking in the US, including Panama's Manuel Noriega in 1992 and Guatemala's Alfonso Portillo in 2014.
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