Former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernández has been sentenced by a U.S. judge to 45 years in federal prison and ordered to pay an $8 million fine after being convicted of federal drug and weapons charges. The charges stem from allegations that Hernández ran a "narco-state" that facilitated the transport of South American cocaine to the United States.

Prosecutors argued that Hernández built his political career on millions of dollars in bribes from drug traffickers in Honduras and Mexico. During his two terms as president from 2014 to 2022, he allegedly aided in the transportation of at least 400 tons of cocaine to the United States while protecting traffickers from extradition and prosecution.

U.S. District Court Judge Kevin Castel highlighted the severity of the trafficking conspiracy before delivering the sentence. Castel noted that the 400 tons of cocaine had an estimated street value of "well over $10 billion." Additionally, two individuals who cooperated against Hernández confessed to being involved in over 130 murders. The judge stated that while Hernández portrayed himself as a champion against drug trafficking, he actually facilitated violence, disease, and addiction.

Prosecutors initially sought a sentence of life in prison plus 30 years. They accused Hernández of abusing his power as the president of Honduras to flood the United States with large quantities of cocaine, describing it as "incomprehensible amounts of poison."

During his presidency, Hernández was praised by the U.S. government as an ally in the fight against drug trafficking and illegal immigration. He had been hosted at the White House by then-vice president Joe Biden in 2015, and former president Donald Trump commended him for his cooperation in stopping drug trafficking in December 2019.

However, the U.S. Justice Department was simultaneously investigating Hernández as part of a broader probe into drug trafficking allegations involving the Honduran political elite. In 2019, Hernández's brother, Tony Hernández, was convicted of federal drug trafficking charges and sentenced to life in prison. Juan Orlando Hernández was named as an unindicted co-conspirator in that case.

Following his departure from office in January 2022, Hernández was arrested by Honduran police at the request of the United States and extradited to face federal charges in New York.

This high-profile case raises concerns about whether the U.S. government turned a blind eye to Hernández's alleged criminal activities while seeking his assistance in addressing migration towards the southwest border. Former U.S. diplomats deny these allegations, citing the lack of communication between the State Department and the Justice Department.

Hernández maintains his innocence and accuses jailed drug dealers of providing false testimony against him in exchange for reduced sentences. He intends to appeal his conviction. In court, Hernández expressed his innocence and claimed to have been wrongly accused and convicted.

Hernández's conservative National Party, which took over the presidency after a coup removed leftist president Mel Zelaya in 2009, has faced numerous corruption and drug-trafficking scandals. In 2021, the party lost the presidency to Xiomara Castro, the wife of former president Zelaya.

The sentencing of Hernández marks a significant development in the fight against drug trafficking in the region and raises questions about the extent of corruption within the Honduran political establishment.