The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) made this announcement on Wednesday, marking a significant milestone in the fight against drug-related crimes.
Hernández, 55, is accused of exploiting his position of power to facilitate the importation of over 400 tons of cocaine into the U.S. The DOJ revealed that these shipments were safeguarded by his co-conspirators using machine guns, AK-47s, AR-15s, and grenade launchers, among other weapons. The former two-term President of Honduras and former President of the Honduran National Congress, Hernández, was reportedly at the heart of one of the world's most extensive and violent drug-trafficking conspiracies from around 2004 to 2022.
June 27, 2024
The DOJ's statement further disclosed that Hernández's co-conspirators also employed weapons to safeguard the proceeds from drug trafficking and to maintain their control over their drug trafficking territory. Hernández's rise to power is believed to have been fueled by million-dollar bribes from some of the largest and most violent transnational drug cartels in Honduras, Mexico, and beyond. In return, he provided protection to his co-conspirators, "allowing them to move mountains of cocaine, commit acts of violence and murder, and help turn Honduras into one of the most dangerous countries in the world," the DOJ stated.
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Hernández, also known as JOH, reportedly manipulated his country's extradition policies against rival traffickers. He and his co-conspirators are accused of exploiting Honduran institutions, employing heavily armed Honduran National Police officers to safeguard their U.S.-bound cocaine shipments. The suspects also allegedly attacked and murdered rival drug smugglers.
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Among Hernández's co-conspirators are his brother and former Honduran congressman Juan Antonio Hernández Alvarado, also known as Tony Hernández, who was sentenced to life in prison and ordered to forfeit $138.5 million in March 2021. Mauricio Hernández Pineda, the former president's cousin who also served in the Honduran National Police, is set to be sentenced on July 2. Juan Carlos Bonilla Valladares, also known as El Tigre, the former chief of the Honduran National Police, is expected to be sentenced on August 1.
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The DOJ stated that the more than 400 tons of cocaine Hernández and his co-conspirators imported into the U.S. constituted at least 4.5 billion individual doses of cocaine. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams for the Southern District of New York commented that Hernández "had every opportunity to affect positive change for his country" but chose instead to facilitate drug trafficking. "Now, after years of destructive narco-trafficking of the highest imaginable magnitude, Hernández will spend 45 years where he belongs: in federal prison," Williams added.
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Attorney General Merrick B. Garland emphasized that the U.S. bore the brunt of Hernández's actions, stating, “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.”
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Hernández was arrested in February 2022 in Honduras following a U.S. extradition request and was convicted in March 2024. After serving his prison sentence, Hernández will also be under a five-year supervised release. This case serves as a stark reminder of the far-reaching implications of drug trafficking and the importance of holding those in power accountable for their actions.
