Former Honduran president to be sentenced in the U.S.

Washington, Jun 26 (Prensa Latina) A Federal Court in the Southern District of Manhattan will sentence today the former president of Honduras Juan Orlando Hernandez, tried in the United States for drug trafficking, an unprecedented political event in the history of the Central American nation.

June 26, 2024
10:24

Hernández was convicted in March by a New York jury for drug trafficking and other crimes such as conspiracy for the possession of firearms.

The former Honduran president (2014-2022) sent a letter to U.S. District Judge Kevin Castel, who is handling his case in New York, requesting the application of the minimum sentence established by law, or 40 years in this case.

But that sentence would be equivalent to a life sentence, Hernández’s lawyer, Renato C. Stabile, said, recalling that his client is 55 years old, according to local media.

The former president, from U.S. ally to villain, was found guilty in March of conspiracy to import cocaine into the United States, conspiracy to possess firearms and possession of weapons during the drug trafficking conspiracy.

His brother, former congressman Tony Hernandez, was sentenced here in March 2021 to life in prison for drug trafficking.

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