Former Honduran president sentenced to 45 years in prison in the USA

Former President of Honduras Juan Orlando Hernandez was sentenced to 45 years in prison for drug trafficking in the USA yesterday. Hernandez is accused of his role in transporting hundreds of tons of cocaine into the United States.

The judge said Hernandez used his political power as speaker of parliament and later Honduran head of state to shield drug traffickers from payments. He provided them with police and military defense and helped them move nearly 400 tons of drugs into the United States. According to the judge, the sales value of the drugs was approximately 10 billion US dollars.

In addition to his prison sentence, Hernandez must also pay a fine of $8 million. Defense lawyer Renato Stabile later said he would seek all possible ways to continue the case.

The US government initially saw him as an ally in the war on drugs. He introduced himself this way during the election campaign. The United States was among the first countries to recognize his 2017 presidential candidacy despite loud protests from opponents who accused him of rigging the election.

Hibya News Agency