Ex-Honduran president to be extradited to US to face drug charges

Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez is expected to be extradited to the U.S. to face numerous drug trafficking and arms charges against him. 

Honduras government and media outlets announced on Wednesday that a plane from Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is expected to arrive in the country Thursday morning to fly Hernandez into the U.S. 

A senior U.S. official told CBS News that Hernandez will face the news at a New York City federal court where he will be put on trial for the numerous charges against him. 

Authorities arrested Hernandez, who served eight years as Honduras’ commander in chief, at his home in February, Reuters reported. 

Federal prosecutors allege that Hernandez accepted millions of dollars in bribes in exchange to protect drug traffickers from eventual prosecution and investigation during his presidential term. 

Authorities also arrested Hernandez’s brother, Tony, on similar charges. Hernandez, a former Honduras politician, was given a life sentence for cocaine trafficking last year, NPR reported. 

According to a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) report, Houdurnan residents also represent the largest nationality crossing the U.S southern border, requesting asylum as they try to escape the current string of poverty and corruption in their native country. 

Current Honduran President  Iris Xiomara Castro, who defeated Hernandez in last November’s election, also accused the leader of turning their native country into a “narco-dictatorship,” citing it as the main cause for the record of migration of citizens to the U.S., NPR noted. 

Hernandez, 53, has repeatedly denied all allegations against him, CBS News noted.