What does the US accuse Juan Orlando Hernández of?
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(CNN Spanish) --
The United States formally accused the former president of Honduras Juan Orlando Hernández of abusing his power as president of his country and turning it into one of the largest points for the shipment of cocaine to the United States, according to the accusation made public this Thursday by the US Department of Justice.
In the document, Hernández, who was extradited to the United States on Thursday, is charged with three counts: Conspiracy to import cocaine, possession of firearms and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess firearms and destructive devices.
Former President Juan Orlando Hernández extradited from Honduras to the US
The 20-page accusation, originating in the federal court of the Southern District of New York, says that Hernández "abused his position" as president to operate the country as a narco-state, "in order to enrich himself and obtain and maintain the power in a corrupt manner,” and that to that end he corrupted the legitimate institutions of Honduras, including parts of the Honduran National Police, the Army and the National Congress, with whom, according to the court, he would have shared the profits from his activity.
It also notes that while he "publicly pretended" to be an ally of the US, he "contributed with his accomplices to Honduras becoming one of the largest transshipment points" for cocaine destined for the US.
According to the court document, the former president would have received millions of dollars from various organizations linked to drug trafficking, including the former leader of the Sinaloa cartel, Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán.
With the money, the indictment says, the former president allegedly financed his political campaigns and committed electoral fraud in the 2013 and 2017 presidential elections.
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Hernández, the accusation maintains, would have provided protection to drug traffickers, including his brother, Juan Antonio Hernández Alvarado, alias Tony Hernandez, who since March 2021 has been imprisoned in the US serving a life sentence for crimes related to drug trafficking and weapons.
After his arrest in response to an extradition request to the US, Hernández denied the charges against him and stated that his government had always collaborated with US authorities to combat organized crime and drug trafficking.
Hernandez will appear for the first time in federal court in New York this Friday, where his case is being heard by Judge Stewart D. Aaron.
Life sentence for brother of the president of Honduras 5:02
John Orlando Hernandez