The former president of Honduras is suspected to be involved in drug traffic. The United States had submitted an extradition request for the 53-year-old man. Juan Orlando Hernández, the former President of Honduras, has been arrested few weeks later after his leaving the office caused by the US extradition request. He was taken by police from his home in Tegucigalpa in a bulletproof vest, handcuffed and shackled, the photographer reported. The arrest was also shown on TV. The 53-year-old man is accused of corruption and involvement in drug traffic. According to the police statement, his arrest had been coordinated with the US anti-drug agency DEA.
Earlier this week the Central American country’s foreign ministry announced on Twitter that it had forwarded a letter to the Supreme Court from the US embassy with request t0 arrest a Honduran politician for his further extradition to the United States. Later, Security Minister Ramón Sabillón confirmed to journalists that it was Hernández. Initially the allegations of the US investigators against him were not made public.
Money from drug lord “El Chapo”
The ex-president’s brother Juan Antonio Hernández was sentenced to life imprisonment in New York last March for large-scale smuggling of cocaine to the United States. Then the president was also charged in the proceedings – the public prosecutor described him as a co-conspirator. Besides, he was accused by a witness of having received one million US dollars for his election campaign from the Mexican ex-drug boss Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán. Hernández denied the allegations.
Honduras – Xiomara Castro sworn in as new president
The left-wing politician is the first woman in the history of Honduras who became a president. Castro wants to rid the country of poverty and debt. With the swearing-in of his left-wing successor Xiomara Castro on January 27, Hernández resigned from the post of head of state and government of Honduras after two four-year terms. According to the constitution, he was not allowed to run again. Honduras is one of the main countries of migrants origin caught at the entrance to the United States from Mexico without permission.