HONDURAS
Brother’s Keeper
A US federal court sentenced the brother of Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández to life in prison on drug-trafficking charges in a trial that underscored allegations that the president has helped turn the Central American nation into a narco-state, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Juan Antonio “Tony” Hernández, a former Honduran lawmaker, was convicted in October 2019 on charges of smuggling about 185 tons of cocaine to the United States over more than a decade.
The court said Juan Antonio Hernández acted as a facilitator, providing bribes to politicians in Honduras, including President Hernández. The judge said he must forfeit $138.5 million.
Hernández has denied the charges and pledged to appeal the conviction. His brother, the president, said the conviction was “painful” but also denied involvement in drug trafficking.
President Hernández has recently been accused as a co-conspirator in recent drug-trafficking trials but maintains that the individuals who accuse him are lying in an attempt to reduce their prison sentences.
Analysts said that the conviction is a reminder that Honduras, one of the poorest nations in the Western hemisphere, poses a major problem for US President Joe Biden as he tries to curb the flow of migration from Central America.
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