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News > Honduras

Honduran President's Brother To Face a Life Sentence Accusation

  • Protesters hang depictions of President Juan Orlando Hernandez (R) and his brother, Honduras, 2019.

    Protesters hang depictions of President Juan Orlando Hernandez (R) and his brother, Honduras, 2019. | Photo: EFE

Published 18 March 2021
Opinion

In 2019, Tony Hernandez was sent to trial for four charges, including trafficking cocaine into the U.S., false testimony, and illegal possession of firearms.

U.S. Federal Prosecutors on Wednesday recommended to the New York Southern District Court a life sentence against Hondura's ex-lawmaker Juan "Tony" Hernandez, following the conclusion of an oral trial on drug trafficking crimes which involves also his brother, President Juan Orlando Hernandez (JOH).

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Besides the life sentence, U.S. Prosecutors demanded Federal Judge Kevin Castel approve a fine of US$$10 million and the seizure of another US$138.5 million.

Tony was accused of operating a network to transport at least 185,000 kilograms of cocaine into the U.S. The allegations also included diverting drug trafficking funds between 2004 and 2019 to finance Honduras' National Party. 

Judge Castel, who conducts also the trial against drug trafficker Geovanny Fuentes, will hand over the verdict on March 23 after validating the charges.

In October 2019, Tony, aged 42, was sent to trial for four charges, including trafficking cocaine into the U.S., false testimony, and illegal possession of firearms.

The Prosecutor's Office held that Hernandez trafficked cocaine for years and operated "with total impunity" thanks to the protection given by his brother, the ex-Honduras' President Porfirio Lobo, and other National Party's top politicians.

So far, the U.S. Justice has not presented charges against President JOH or Lobo, whose son Fabio is also serving a 24-year sentence for drug trafficking.

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