After receiving high praises from Donald Trump for his efforts in “stopping drugs at a level that has never happened”, former president of Honduras, Juan Orlando Hernández, will be facing trial in New York on Monday. He is accused of being involved in a “narco-state” and accepting millions of dollars in bribes from drug traffickers, including Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, the former leader of the Sinaloa cartel. This comes two years after his extradition to the US in shackles.
Hernández is the initial ex-president to be accused of drug trafficking in the US since another former US ally, General Manuel Noriega of Panama, more than 30 years ago.
This trial will potentially be the most significant examination thus far of the DEA’s approach to holding accountable government officials who aid in the transportation of drugs to the United States.
Hernández has rejected the allegations as vengeance from the drug cartels in response to his anti-drug efforts. He also pointed to his collaboration with and recognition from US authorities as proof of his innocence.
In 2013, during his initial bid for the presidency, Hernández portrayed himself as tough on crime and highlighted his role as a legislator in passing a constitutional amendment that allowed for the extradition of Hondurans facing drug trafficking charges.
During this period, Honduras was experiencing political unrest and chaos, and most of the cocaine being transported to the United States was going through the nation.
Large amounts of people from Honduras have left their homes due to the violence and are now making their way to the United States border. The Obama administration viewed Hernández as an imperfect, yet enthusiastic ally in matters concerning immigration and security.
Ricardo Zúñiga, a former high-ranking official at the state department, stated that it was widely recognized that Juan Orlando was involved in corrupt activities. However, they did not view him as a member of organized crime.
When Hernández took office in January 2014, a limited number of DEA agents and prosecutors had already begun to have doubts.
In 2013, DEA agents were examining transcripts of intercepted phone conversations given to them by Honduran partners when one specific conversation caught the attention of the office.
According to Andrew Pappas, a retired DEA agent who was stationed in Honduras, one drug trafficker called another and asked about their voting preferences in the election. The response was that they were voting for all candidates.
“When the phone call was received, it was evident that the traffickers had no concerns about the outcome of the election as they had already bribed all involved parties.”
Shortly thereafter, the possibility of being extradited prompted a group of traffickers in Honduras to make agreements with the DEA, revealing the extent of their involvement in regional politics. Just one week after Hernández took office, a prominent trafficker in the country secretly recorded a conversation with the president’s brother, lawmaker Juan Antonio “Tony” Hernández.
In October 2016, local media began spreading rumors about Tony Hernández’s alleged involvement in drug trafficking. He claimed he would go to Miami to meet with the DEA and prove his innocence. However, he ended up committing perjury and revealing his ties to other traffickers.
Prosecutors claim that Hernández made efforts to separate from his brother and put in extra effort to maintain a positive relationship with US authorities. The election of Donald Trump as US president in November 2016 greatly facilitated this.
In the following year, Hernández campaigned for another term as president, despite the constitution forbidding it. The election in November 2017 was tainted by violence and accusations of fraud, with prosecutors claiming that drug traffickers played a role. The Secretary General of the Organization of American States called for a new election, but the Trump administration supported Hernández and allowed him to continue as president for a second term.
In the latter part of 2018, Tony Hernández was apprehended by DEA officials for allegations of drug trafficking following a risky visit to the US. In his trial a year afterwards, the prosecution presented the majority of their evidence against the ex-president in a public courtroom. Tony Hernández was found guilty on all charges and given a life sentence.
For those closely observing the trial, it was evident that Hernández was a probable subject of interest for the DEA, shielded by an unspoken rule within the Department of Justice that prevents the indictment of current presidents.
Still, the praises from Washington persisted.
Within 60 days of the trial, former President Trump commended Hernández at the 2019 Israeli American Council National Summit. He expressed gratitude towards the Honduran president and acknowledged their close collaboration in preventing drug trafficking, reaching unprecedented levels.
In January 2021, when Joe Biden assumed office, the admiration finally ceased. According to Zúñiga, who was chosen as the Central America envoy, it was evident that US attorneys aimed to pursue him.
Zúñiga stated that the Department of Justice only notified the state department of their plans after Hernández’s party was overwhelmingly voted out of office.
Several weeks after his arrest, Hernández sat in a Tegucigalpa courthouse wearing a blue suit and crisp white shirt reminiscent of the Honduran flag. He pleaded with the judge who held the power to approve his extradition.
Based on a transcript examined by the Guardian, the ex-president referenced his extensive collaboration with American authorities on measures against drugs and immigration, and acknowledged the “conflict” between the praise he received and the charges against him.
He also voiced disapproval of the extradition process that he had advocated for ten years as his biggest accomplishment – and more recently as proof of his innocence.
Hernández stated that if the extradition is granted, he will face a life sentence.
Source: theguardian.com
