Former President of Honduras Juan Orlando Hernández was convicted of conspiracy to import cocaine into the United States and two weapons offenses and is currently facing the possibility of life in prison.
Written by James Blairs
The trial, held in the federal court building in Manhattan, took two weeks.
Former President Juan Orlando Hernández, 55, has denied all charges, claiming he was the victim of retaliation by drug cartels and a conspiracy by political opponents.
Listen to James Blears' report.
During the trial, several convicted drug traffickers testified that the suspect paid them bribes.
His lawyers have already confirmed that his conviction will be appealed.
The verdict will be handed down on June 26th. He faces a minimum sentence of 40 years in prison. The maximum penalty would be spending the rest of his life in prison.
During his presidency, Hernandez received millions of dollars from Washington to help fight drug cartels.
Drug cartels paid him millions in protection fees to prevent military and police attacks, but organized crime could see large amounts of cocaine enter the United States.
He was arrested at his home in Tegucigalpa three months after leaving office in 2022 and extradited to the United States in April of the same year.
His brother Juan Antonio, a former Honduran congressman, was convicted on drug charges in 2021 and is serving a life sentence.