Ex-Honduras president Juan Orlando Hernandez convicted in US drug trafficking trial

The US accused the former leader of abusing his power by accepting millions of dollars in bribes from traffickers to protect their US-bound cocaine shipments

Hernandez, 55, faces possible life in prison; his sentence will be determined at a later date

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Former Honduras president Juan Orlando Hernandez (second from right) is escorted towards a plane for his extradition to the US at an air force base in Tegucigalpa in April 2022. Photo: AFP

Published: 4:51am, 9 Mar 2024Updated: 5:14am, 9 Mar 2024

Former Honduras president Juan Orlando Hernandez was found guilty on Friday of drug trafficking conspiracy by a US jury, cementing the one-time US ally’s fall from grace.

Jurors in federal court in Manhattan needed about two days to reach a verdict, following a two-week trial.

Hernandez, 55, faces possible life in prison. US District Judge Kevin Castel will determine his sentence at a later date.

Renato Stabile, a lawyer for Hernandez, said his client plans to appeal the verdict.

Former Honduras president Juan Orlando Hernandez looks down as a courtroom deputy reads the guilty verdict before US District Judge Kevin Castel at Hernandez’s New York trial on Friday. Courtroom sketch: Jane Rosenberg via Reuters

Hernandez led Honduras from 2014 to 2022. During his presidency, the Central American country received more than US$50 million in US anti-narcotics aid, and tens of millions of dollars in security and military aid.