Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez, who has been extradited to the United States on suspicion of plotting to smuggle 500 tonnes of cocaine into the United States, was remanded in custody for at least a month on Wednesday by a Supreme Court judge. from the first hearing on Washington’s request.
The day after his arrest by the police, at his home in Tegucigalpa, the former head of state (2013-2022) was summoned yesterday Wednesday morning before a judge who was in charge of examining the information provided by the American authorities to substantiate their request. for its issuance.
The judge rejected the defense’s house arrest and “decided to order his temporary detention (…) to ensure the presence” of Mr Hernandez at the second hearing, set for March 16, he explained. the representative of the Supreme Court of Honduras, Melvin Duarte.
By then, the US authorities are expected to have provided the judge with “the evidence on which the extradition request is based (…) and the sentences imposed by the charges against Mr Hernandez,” he added.
Juan Orlando Hernandez, 53, also known as “HOE” in his homeland, is accused by US justice of facilitating the passage of about 500 tonnes of cocaine from Honduras from 2004 to 2022, knowing that the drugs were destined for US, the US embassy said in a statement.
He was allegedly bribed with “millions of dollars” by drug traffickers to prevent any investigation, arrest or extradition.
In 2013, the year he was elected president, he allegedly received $ 1 million from the infamous Mexican drug lord Joaquin “Chapo” Guzman.
The former president will be called to account for three charges: “conspiracy to commit controlled drug trafficking in the United States”, “possession and use of firearms” and Drugs ”in the USA.
Chained
Mr Hernandez was transferred to the Honduran Supreme Court yesterday morning, guarded by a strong police force, backed by armored vehicles and a helicopter.
He, who was still the head of state three weeks ago, was arrested on Tuesday at his residence by Honduran police in coordination with various US services, including the drug prosecution (DEA), without any resistance.
He was taken, chained, to a special police station, where he spent the night.
Fans of the former president and his National Party (PN, right) gathered in front of the Supreme Court, shouting slogans such as “you are not alone!”.
There was tension with a group of supporters of the left-wing LIBRE party (in government) who came down to protest, on the contrary, their joy because they see the former president being brought to justice.
The former president handed over power to left-wing President Siomara Castro on January 27th after two consecutive terms.
“Narcocrat”
The former head of state, who presented himself as a champion of the fight against drug trafficking during his eight years in office, denied the charges against him and said he was “ready and willing to cooperate” a few hours after his arrest.
Honduras, where gang violence, corruption and drug trafficking have reached the highest levels of government, is one of the poorest and most violent countries in Central America. 74% of its almost 10 million inhabitants live below the poverty line.
Earlier in the month, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said the former president had “involved” or “facilitated” “corruption and drug trafficking” and “used the proceeds to fund his campaign”.
Mr Hernandez is accused of being an accomplice of his brother, Juan Antonio “Tony” Hernandez, a former lawmaker who was sentenced in March 2021 by a US court to life in prison for drug trafficking.
During his brother’s trial, US prosecutors accused the WTO of turning Honduras into a “drug lord”.
Another close ally of former head of state, Giovanni Fuentes Ramirez, who was sentenced last week to life in prison for drug trafficking in New York, testified during his trial that the former president had assured him he would “pass drugs under the nose of the gringos “without ever being held accountable.
The former head of state, for his part, claims that the charges against him are based on false testimonies of drug traffickers who were set to “avenge” him for the war he waged against them, arresting and extraditing several of them to the United States.
Follow Skai.gr on Google News
and be the first to know all the news
