Juan Orlando Hernandez, Cocaine Importation, New York 2024

Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez, a/k/a ‘JOH,’ has been found guilty of conspiring to import cocaine into the United States and related firearms offenses. Hernandez, who served as president from 2014 to 2022, was convicted on all three counts in the indictment.

A jury delivered the verdict in a federal court in Manhattan on June 26, 2024. Hernandez is scheduled to be sentenced on the same date. The exact length of his prison term, fine, or current status will be determined by the court.

According to court documents, Hernandez was at the center of one of the largest and most violent drug-trafficking conspiracies in the world. He abused his position and authority in Honduras to facilitate the importation of tons of cocaine into the United States, receiving millions of dollars in drug money in exchange.

Throughout his time in office, Hernandez publicly promoted anti-narcotics measures in Honduras while protecting and enriching the drug traffickers in his inner circle. He selectively upheld extraditions, using his executive power to support extraditions to the United States of certain drug traffickers who threatened his grip on power.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said, ‘Juan Orlando Hernandez had every opportunity to be a force for good in his native Honduras. Instead, he chose to abuse his office and country for his own personal gain and partnered with some of the largest and most violent drug trafficking organizations in the world.’

Attorney General Merrick B. Garland stated, ‘Juan Orlando Hernandez abused his position as President of Honduras to operate the country as a narco-state where violent drug traffickers were allowed to operate with virtual impunity.’

Hernandez is the former two-term president of Honduras and former president of the Honduran National Congress. He was involved in the conspiracy from at least 2004, up to and including 2022.

The conviction of Hernandez sends a strong message to corrupt politicians who would consider similar paths. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to investigate and prosecute those responsible for sending poison to the community, regardless of their status or political power.

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