HONDURAS
Co-conspirator-in-chief
US federal prosecutors filed fresh motions over the weekend that accuse Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez of using his position to help drug traffickers send huge drug shipments to the United States, the Los Angeles Times reported.
The documents allege that Hernandez used the nation’s armed forces to protect shipments of cocaine in exchange for bribes, as well as embezzling US aid money.
The court papers do not explicitly name the president, but they identify him as “co-conspirator 4” by references to his political position and his brother, Juan Antonio Hernandez, who was convicted of drug smuggling in 2019.
Hernandez has been implicated in three major drug cases but denies any wrongdoing. He says that cartel leaders have been falsely accusing him because of his successful crackdowns against trafficking.
US President Donald Trump has praised Hernandez in the past for being a willing partner in helping implement the Trump administration’s controversial immigration measures.
It’s unclear how the recent revelations will change the US-Honduras relationship under President-elect Joe Biden.
Meanwhile, Honduran activists worry that Hernandez will try to extend his time in office to avoid prosecution by the US Justice Department.
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