In a landmark verdict, former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez, also known as "JOH," has been found guilty on all three counts in the Indictment, including cocaine-importation and weapons offenses. The trial, presided over by U.S. District Judge P. Kevin Castel, concluded with Hernandez scheduled to be sentenced on June 26, 2024.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams of the Southern District of New York expressed his disappointment in Hernandez's choice to abuse his position for personal gain, partnering with major drug trafficking organizations to transport tons of cocaine into the United States. Williams emphasized that this conviction serves as a message to corrupt politicians considering a similar path – they will be held accountable. He assured that his office will stop at nothing to investigate and prosecute those responsible for spreading drugs in the community, regardless of their status or political power.

Attorney General Merrick B. Garland condemned Hernandez for turning Honduras into a narco-state, where violent drug traffickers operated with impunity. The conviction, according to Garland, emphasizes the Justice Department's commitment to dismantling drug trafficking networks that harm both the American and Honduran people, regardless of the lengths they must go to achieve justice.

DEA Administrator Anne Milgram highlighted the partnership between Hernandez and the Sinaloa Cartel, which resulted in deadly drugs flooding American communities. She stressed that both Hernandez and the cartel leadership must be held accountable, demonstrating that no one is above the law or beyond reach.

The investigation revealed that Hernandez, during his two-term presidency and position as the head of the Honduran National Congress, played a central role in a massive and violent drug-trafficking conspiracy. He abused his authority to facilitate the importation of over 400 tons of cocaine into the United States, receiving millions of dollars in drug money from powerful trafficking organizations in Honduras, Mexico, and elsewhere. These bribes fueled Hernandez's rise in Honduran politics.

Despite publicly endorsing anti-narcotics measures, Hernandez protected and enrich the drug traffickers within his inner circle, using the Honduran National Police and Army to shield and expand their drug trafficking empire. The conspiracy involved the use of heavily armed police officers to protect cocaine loads passing through Honduras, as well as resorting to violence and murder to eliminate rivals and maintain control of the Honduran cocaine trade.

Close associates and co-conspirators of Hernandez, including his brother Juan Antonio Hernandez Alvarado, known as "Tony Hernandez," and Geovanny Fuentes Ramirez, a violent cocaine trafficker, have already been convicted and sentenced in connection with the investigation. The former chief of the Honduran National Police, Juan Carlos Bonilla Valladares, and Hernandez's cousin, Mauricio Hernandez Pineda, also pleaded guilty to participating in the cocaine-importation conspiracy.

The guilty verdict means that Hernandez, aged 55 and a resident of Honduras, faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years to life in prison for conspiring to import cocaine into the United States. He also faces additional charges related to the use and possession of machine guns in furtherance of the cocaine-importation conspiracy.

The trial was made possible through the diligent efforts of the DEA's Special Operations Division Bilateral Investigations Unit, the OCDETF New York Strike Force, and the Tegucigalpa Country Office, with support from the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of International Affairs and the National Security Division's Counterterrorism Section.

The OCDETF New York Strike Force, a permanent multi-agency task force, played a crucial role in targeting and dismantling drug trafficking networks, reducing the illegal drug supply in the United States, and bringing criminals to justice.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jacob H. Gutwillig, David J. Robles, Elinor L. Tarlow, and Kyle A. Wirshba led the prosecution, aided by the Paralegal Specialist Kayla A. Collins and Trial Attorneys Andrea Broach and Jessica Fender from the National Security Division's Counterterrorism Section.

The conviction of a former head of state involved in such a significant drug-trafficking conspiracy marks a significant step in the fight against international drug cartels, sending a clear message that justice will be served no matter the individual's position or power.