On March 8, 2024, Juan Orlando Hernández, also known as JOH, the former president of Honduras, was convicted on three counts of drug trafficking and weapons conspiracy in a Manhattan federal court.
Between 2004 and 2022, Hernández, who also served as the former president of the Honduran National Congress, played a central role in one of the world’s largest and most violent drug-trafficking operations. He exploited his authority in Honduras to facilitate the smuggling of large quantities of cocaine into the United States. In return, Hernández received millions of dollars in drug proceeds from major trafficking organizations in Honduras, Mexico, and beyond, which he used to advance his political career in Honduras.
Hernández served as president of Honduras from 2014 to 2022, completing two consecutive terms. Initially, he ran as a law-and-order candidate promising to address drug-related crime in the country. Three months after leaving office, he was extradited to New York and arrested in April 2022 to face federal charges in the US. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 26, 2024.
