FL – Honduras President Brother Arrested In Miami On Drugs Charges

The brother of Honduras President Juan Orlando Hernandez (pictured visiting a prison in his home country) was arrested in Miami for “conspiring to import cocaine” and “related weapons offenses,” according to the US attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York. The news comes at a very unfortunate timing for the country now that some 8,000 Central American migrants from different ‘caravans’ are amassing at the US’s southern border and the White House administration has accused many of them to be involved in criminal activities. Most of the caravans started in Honduras.

Juan Antonio 'Tony' Hernandez is not the first prominent Honduran to be arrested by the Americans in connection with drug smuggling. Earlier this year, three other members of the Honduras parliament were arrested.

Last year, Tony Hernandez was already associated with the Honduran drug cartel Cachiros. A leader of that gang had, during a court case in New York, sworn under oath that the brother of the president was bribed to help drug money laundering. Hernandez himself has always denied contact with the cartel.

Related to this, during the ongoing ‘El Chapo’ trial in New York, the accused also indicated that his crime organization bribed the current and the former Mexican presidents. It thus seems a widespread problem in Central America

Blow for the family

“This is a big blow for the whole family,” claimed the Honduran president in his hometown Gracias speaking to journalists. “I just hope that the US judiciary gives him the opportunity to defend himself. As a family, we will do all we can for him."

The current president of Honduras, a conservative lawyer who came to power in 2014, runs a hard line against drug cartels and street gangs and is supported by the US. His hard policy has led to a decrease in the number of murders, but is criticized by human rights groups.

Conspiracy

The former president of Honduras, Mr Porfirio Lobo, in power between 2010 and 2014, was also linked to the Cachiros cartel but has always denied those accusations, saying it was a political conspiracy against his government.

One of his sons was sentenced to 24 years in prison in the US for his help to smuggle cocaine into the country.

Source:

miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article222118275.html

http://www.thegoldwater.com/news/43126-FL-Honduras-President-Brother-Arrested-In-Miami-On-Drugs-Charges