U.S. Requests Extradition of Former Honduran President

The US authorities has requested the arrest and extradition of Juan Orlando Hernández, the previous president of Honduras, who has been charged in federal court docket in New York with accepting cash from drug cartels.

The extradition request was despatched to the Honduran International Ministry on Monday, the AP information company reported. Hours later, law enforcement officials surrounded the house of Mr. Hernández, who left workplace in January after his political celebration was ousted in final 12 months’s election.

However whether or not Mr. Hernandez can be despatched to the US stays to be seen. The Supreme Courtroom, the place the previous president rallied loyalists earlier than he left workplace, should perform any extradition requests.

In a single federal courtroom in New York last year“

Expenses in opposition to Hernández have been introduced in not less than two drug trafficking instances pursued by prosecutors within the Southern District of New York.

Mr Hernández has denied the allegations up to now.

“It must be made clear that that is an outrage,” mentioned Mr. Hernández’s lawyer, Hermes Ramírez, according to the local press.

“They could not arrest him,” he mentioned, including that the previous president was Honduras’ consultant to the Central American Parliament, a regional political physique. “He enjoys immunity.”

On Monday night time, convoys of police pickup vehicles might be seen rushing towards the previous president’s house. A neighbor who lives a couple of block away from Mr. Hernández mentioned dozens of police had surrounded the residence.

As information of the extradition request unfold by means of the capital, not less than 100 individuals flocked to a major avenue to rejoice the potential arrest of Mr. Hernández, broadly disliked and suspected of corruption. .

“Juanchi, you are going to New York!” The protesters chanted, utilizing a nickname for the president.

Earlier on Monday, the State Division mentioned on Twitter that the US had requested the arrest of a “Honduran politician” however didn’t specify who it was. CNN en Español confirmed the extradition request was for Hernández.

The State Division referred all questions in regards to the extradition request to the Justice Division, which didn’t instantly reply to emailed questions.

With a crippled and corrupt justice system, many within the area say prosecution in the US is the one approach justice could be served.

Many medicine trafficked by means of Latin America find yourself being shipped to the US, which implies that American officers can file indictments in U.S. federal courts and pursue officers with claims. extradition request.

Such a immediate extradition request – which got here simply weeks after Mr Hernández’s resignation – is uncommon and would most definitely ship a transparent message to different governments within the area to wash up or threat alternative to be pursued within the courts of the US.

Mr. Hernandez’s party lost the national election final November, the opening for the previous president to be indicted in the US. Nations with extradition treaties.

Hernández left workplace in January and was succeeded by Xiomara Castro, the nation’s first feminine president. Ms. Castro has promised to work with the US and battle corruption within the nation.

Tackling rampant grafting in a lot of Central America is a precedence for the Biden administration, which sees it as a key motive for the file numbers of migrants heading for the southern US border.

Vice President Kamala Harris attended Mrs. Castro’s inauguration last monthand it was seen as a message to different Central American governments to simply accept the Biden administration’s plans for the area or threat a rift with the US.

U.S. Customs and Border Safety recorded greater than 300,000 border crossings by Hondurans within the final fiscal 12 months, making the nation the second-largest supply of migrants after Mexico.

Joan Suazo contributed reporting from Tegucigalpa, Honduras.