Honduran court grants extradition of ex-president

A Honduran judge on Wednesday granted the extradition of former President Juan Orlando Hernandez to the United States where he faces multiple drug trafficking and firearms charges.

Hernandez, who served as president of Honduras from 2014 to January of this year, was arrested in his home in Tegucigalpa in February, the BBC reported.

The former president stands accused of having been involved in a drug-trafficking ring which included his younger brother, Tony Hernandez, who was sentenced to life in prison in the U.S. last year. During the trial, prosecutors alleged that Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman had personally given Tony $1 million and instructed him to pass it on to his older brother as a bribe.

If extradited, the former president will face three charges: conspiracy to export a controlled substance into the U.S.; using or carrying firearms including machine guns; conspiracy to use or carry firearms.

The accusations are especially troubling because Juan Orlando Hernandez has always maintained that he did everything in his power to fight drug trafficking and claims that his administration was tough on crime.

The allegations brought against him, he claims, are based on statements provided by convicted drug traffickers, whom he claims are out for revenge.