The former president of Honduras, Juan Orlando Hernández, 55, also known as JOH, was sentenced today to 540 months in prison and 60 months of supervised release for cocaine importation and related weapons offenses. The former two-term president was in office until weeks before his extradition to the United States in April 2022. Hernández was convicted on March 8 following a three-week jury trial.
“As President of Honduras, Juan Orlando Hernández abused his power to support one of the largest and most violent drug trafficking conspiracies in the world, and the people of Honduras and the United States bore the consequences,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Thanks to the diligent work of the Justice Department’s agents and prosecutors, Hernández will now spend more than four decades in prison. The Justice Department will hold accountable all those who engage in violent drug trafficking, regardless of how powerful they are or what position they hold.”
“The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is relentlessly focused on dismantling drug trafficking organizations that threaten the safety and health of the American people,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández financed his political career with drug trafficking profits and abused his authority as President of Honduras to traffic hundreds of tons of cocaine to the United States. Let me be clear, political actors who use their power to traffic in drugs and corruption will be brought to justice in the United States.”
“As the former two-term president of Honduras, Juan Orlando Hernández had every opportunity to affect positive change for his country," said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams for the Southern District of New York. "Instead, Hernández helped to facilitate the importation of an almost unfathomable 400 tons of cocaine to this country: billions of individual doses sent to the United States with the protection and support of the former president of Honduras. Now, after years of destructive narco-trafficking at an unimaginable magnitude, Hernández will spend 45 years where he belongs: in federal prison.”
According to court documents, from at least around 2004 up until about 2022, Hernández was at the center of one of the largest and most violent drug-trafficking conspiracies globally during his political career as a two-term president and former president of Congress in Honduras. He facilitated importing over 400 tons of cocaine into the U.S., supported by co-conspirators armed with machine guns and destructive devices like AK-47s, AR-15s, and grenade launchers.
Hernández received millions from major drug-trafficking organizations across Honduras, Mexico, and elsewhere; these funds fueled his rise in politics while providing increased support for his co-conspirators' operations involving massive cocaine movements protected by violence.
During his tenure as president, Hernández publicly promoted anti-narcotics measures but simultaneously protected traffickers within his circle who bribed him with cocaine-fueled payments that kept him in power. His selective enforcement included extraditing certain traffickers threatening his control while ensuring safety for those loyal through bribes.
Several co-conspirators have already been convicted or sentenced due to this investigation: among them is Hernández's brother Tony Hernández (life sentence), Geovanny Fuentes Ramirez (life sentence), Juan Carlos Bonilla Valladares (sentencing scheduled), Mauricio Hernández Pineda (sentencing scheduled).
In totality during Hernandez's government tenure over approximately well above four billion individual doses worth were trafficked via U.S.-bound routes through Honduran territories under protective violence measures enforced by corrupted institutions such as national police/military forces aiding transit operations towards eventual distribution points stateside per case findings led primarily via DEA investigations assisted significantly throughout arrest/extradition phases coordinated through DOJ’s Office International Affairs departmentally contributing substantively securing overall prosecutorial outcomes concluded recently upon final sentencing decrees rendered judicially accordingly against ex-president involved directly extensively proven illicit narcotic trade activities documented comprehensively evidenced thoroughly procedurally validated conclusively adjudicated thus appropriately sanctioned ultimately justifiably pronounced finally duly warranted equitably imposed rightly 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prop bolster reinforce strengthen fortify shore underpin buttress brace stiffen harden solidify firm stabilize steady anchor root embed implant plant sow seed cultivate nurture grow develop evolve progress advance mature ripen age season mellow temper soften tender gentle moderate tone down soothe calm pacify placate appease mollify conciliate propitiate assuage alleviate mitigate ease lessen reduce diminish decrease curtail cut down trim pare prune shave shear crop clip snip chop hack slash sever split cleave rend tear rip shred grate grind crush pulverize powder mill mash pound beat batter hammer pummel strike hit knock bang thump slap smack spank whack bash wallop clobber sock slug punch jab poke prod stab thrust lunge plunge drive ram jam shove push force squeeze grip grasp clutch grab seize snatch yank pull tug jerk wrench twist turn rotate spin swirl whirl twirl gyrate revolve circle orbit surround encircle envelop encompass enclose wrap enfold embrace clasp hug cuddle snuggle nestle huddle shelter protect shield guard defend safeguard preserve conserve maintain sustain support uphold bolster buttress reinforce strengthen fortify back advocate champion endorse promote advance further foster encourage nurture cultivate tend care nurse heal cure mend repair restore rejuvenate revitalize renew refresh revive resuscitate resurrect invigorate energize enliven animate vitalize stimulate arouse excite electrify galvan