Honduras President's Brother Sentenced to Life in US for Drug Trafficking

Source: The Guardian

[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] The brother of the current president of Honduras was sentenced to life imprisonment by a U.S. court on drug trafficking charges, ABC News and others reported on the 30th (local time).

The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York in Manhattan on the same day sentenced Tony Hernandez, brother of Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez, to life imprisonment and ordered the forfeiture of $138 million on drug trafficking charges.

Tony Hernandez, a former Honduran congressman, was arrested in 2018 for smuggling cocaine into the United States and was convicted the following year on charges including drug trafficking and illegal possession of firearms.

Prosecutors revealed that Tony Hernandez played a leading role in smuggling at least 185,000 kg of cocaine into the United States and also sold firearms to those involved in drug trafficking.

Prosecutors have also targeted President Hernandez in their investigation. In the indictment, prosecutors stated, "The defendant played a leading role in a violent drug trafficking conspiracy alongside his brother, the president," and "He conspired with the highest authorities in Honduras to operate Honduras as a de facto narco-state."

Earlier, U.S. prosecutors claimed that Tony Hernandez received millions of dollars in bribes from Mexican drug lord Joaqu?n Guzm?n (aka El Chapo), which were used as campaign funds for his brother's presidential election.

U.S. investigative authorities have also stated that President Hernandez assisted in drug smuggling into the United States in connection with another Honduran drug case currently on trial in the U.S.

After the verdict, President Hernandez denied the related charges again via Twitter, saying, "This is very painful news for the entire family," and "U.S. prosecutors' cooperating witnesses are giving false testimony."