HomeNewsPoliticsHonduran Former-President Juan Orlando Hernández under house arrest

Honduran Former-President Juan Orlando Hernández under house arrest

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The house of former Juan Orlando Hernández has been surrounded by police in Tegucigalpa, Honduran.

The officers arrived just hours after the United States demanded his extradition on narcotics allegations, which he rejects.

Mr. Hernández was inside his home, according to the Honduran security minister, and police had been directed to surround it to “prevent an escape” as they awaited the issuance of an arrest warrant.

From 2014 to January of this year, Mr. Hernández was the president of Honduras.

He is suspected of being a part of a drug-trafficking organization that includes his younger brother, Tony Hernández, who was sentenced to life in prison in the United States last year.

During Tony Hernández’s trial, prosecutors claimed that Joaqun “El Chapo” Guzmán, the infamous Mexican drug kingpin, had personally paid Tony Hernández $1 million.

According to the authorities, “El Chapo” Guzmán instructed the younger Hernández that the money was a bribe and that he should give it to his brother Juan Orlando.

Honduras has long been a major transit country for drugs transported from South America to the United States, and it has more recently become a cocaine-producing country.

Juan Orlando Hernández has long stated that he did everything in his ability to combat drug trafficking, and he had the assistance of the US government during President Donald Trump’s administration.

However, under President Joe Biden, his relationship with the United States deteriorated.

The US state department announced last week that Mr. Hernández had been added to a list of those forbidden from entering the country due to alleged corruption.

According to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the former Honduran president had “engaged in significant corruption by committing or facilitating acts of corruption and narco-trafficking, and using the proceeds of illicit activity to facilitate political campaigns.”

Mr. Hernández responded to Mr. Blinken’s comments by claiming that the accusations against him were based on claims made by convicted drug traffickers seeking vengeance.

While Mr. Hernández has not yet responded to the US’s extradition request, his counsel claimed that his participation in the Central American parliament provided him with immunity from arrest.

According to legal experts, the regional body’s immunity can be revoked if the member’s home country demands it.

Image Credit: Getty

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