A US federal court accused the brother of Honduras' president of being a "violent drug trafficker of epic proportions." Prosecutors allege President Juan Orlando Hernandez has received millions in drug money bribes.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/R. Drew
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Honduras' president Juan Orlando Hernandez was labeled a co-conspirator in an investigation by a US federal court into his brother Juan Antonio Hernandez, who is accused of smuggling massive amounts of cocaine into the United States for years with the help of the Honduran government.
Juan Antonio Hernandez has been in prison in New York since 2018, after he was arrested in Miami. He pleaded not guilty to charges of drug trafficking, illegal possession of firearms and lying to authorities.
"The defendant was protected by and had access to his brother, the current sitting president of Honduras, a man who himself has received millions of dollars in drug money bribes," Manhattan prosecutor Jason Richman said on Wednesday.
Richman said Juan Antonio Hernandez had received bribes from "some of the largest cocaine traffickers in the world," including drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman and the Sinaloa cartel, who allegedly "personally delivered $1 million (€900,000) to the defendant for his brother."
Juan Antonio Hernandez is currently in US federal custodyImage: picture-alliance/AP Photo/F. Antonio
In the legal complaint, the defendant was described as a "violent drug trafficker of epic proportions."
President denies accusations
President Hernandez lashed out via Twitter, saying the accusation was "100% false, absurd and ridiculous."
In a statement, his office "rejected the irresponsible misinformation that was published without any evidence this afternoon by some media outlets regarding the supposed statement against the president of the republic."
But in the 49-page document, New York prosecutors said president Hernandez and his predecessor Porfirio Lobo relied on drug money for campaign financing. The document claims that the Honduran government functions as a narco-state.
President Hernandez has been considered an ally of US President Donald Trump's administration. Hernandez visited Washington last week, where he signed an agreement with the US to crack down on migrants headed north.
jcg/ng (Reuters, AFP, EFE)
Honduras: Land of gangs and violence
Criminal gangs pose an existential threat to state and society in Honduras. For many, the only option is to flee.
Image: Reuters/E. Garrido
One of most violent countries in the world
Honduras has one of the highest homicide rates in the world. In 2011-2012, there were 86 homicides per 100,000 people. That amounted to 7,172 murders a year in a country of some 9 million people. In 2018, the homicide rate fell to 40 per 100,000 people, according to government statistics. In comparison, in 2015 there were some 5,000 homicides in the EU, where the population is 500 million.
Image: Reuters/E. Garrido
Gang-fueled violence
There are as many as 40,000 gang members in Honduras. Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) and Barrio-18 (members pictured here) are the two main criminal groups engaging in turf wars over drug and human trafficking, extortion and other criminal enterprises.
Image: Reuters/E. Garrido
Pushing people out
The wave of violence, gang control and erosion of state authority has pushed tens of thousands of people out of neighborhoods where funeral processions are all too common. Many families fear that their children will be recruited into gangs as early as the age of 11. Many of those who can will often try to make the dangerous and hard journey through Mexico to the United States.
Image: Reuters/E. Garrido
Existential threat
Gang-fueled violence and criminality have torn apart Honduran society and the authority of the state. According to a report by the US National Defense University, MS-13 has become a "criminal-economic-military-political power that poses an existential threat" to the state of Honduras. The group has infilrated key state institutions, including the police, military, judiciary and political system.
Image: Reuters/E. Garrido
Police patrols
In Honduras, MS-13 has been known to corrupt and infiltrate local police. The group has expanded with the aid of police forces who have reportedly targeted and cleared neighborhoods controlled by rival groups. Police and security forces sacked for corruption are said to join gangs or train gang members.
Image: Reuters/E. Garrido
No justice
The corrupt and dysfunctional criminal system fuels more violence. Around 80 percent of homicides are not investigated and 96 percent are not adjudicated.
Image: Reuters/E. Garrido
Fleeing north
Thousands of Hondurans have tried to make the hard journey north. Many are innocent civilians seeking a better and safer life. However, US authorities say some gang members are trying to infiltrate the United States. At the same time, an influx of gang members being deported from the United States is strengthening gang numbers in Honduras as they are incorporated into structures there.
