The Supreme Court of Justice of Honduras ratified this Monday the extradition of former President Juan Orlando Hernández to the United States, where he is accused of three charges related to drug trafficking and the use of weapons.
The announcement was made by the spokesman for the Honduran Supreme Court, Melvin Duarte, who indicated that the “extradition” was granted unanimously.
“After analyzing all the grievances and elements (… ) presented by the technical defense in the appeal raised, (the plenary session) has ruled that the appeal raised has not been upheld, which means that the decision of the judge of first instance to grant the extradition of citizen Juan Orlando Hernández is confirmed.”
The US justice accuses Hernández of three charges that would have been committed since 2004 to 2022. One is for “conspiracy to import a controlled substance into the United States,” with the “knowledge that said substance would be illegally imported into the United States.”
In addition, he is charged with “manufacture, distribute, and possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance aboard an aircraft registered in the United States.”
Another charge is for “using or carrying firearms, or aiding and abetting the use, power and possession” of “machine guns and destructive devices”.
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The weapons and destructive devices would be “in support of the conspiracy to import narcotics of which he is accused in count one,” according to a report that the US Embassy sent to the Honduran Foreign Ministry the 14 of February.
Hernández, of 53 years, said this Monday in a public letter that he is “innocent” and “victim of revenge and a conspiracy.”
Hernández is also accused of accepting million dollars in bribes to protect drug traffickers from legal investigations.
Hernández was replaced as president of Honduras by Xiomara Castro in January after eight years in office.
At the beginning of March, a Honduran judge already authorized the extradition of Hernández, who has been in prison since mid-February.
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