Star witness threatens to sink ex-president of Honduras in US trial

The trial in New York for Juan Orlando Hernandez entered a decisive phase this Friday with the testimony of Fábio Loboson of his predecessor as president of Honduraswho seems willing to sink the former president, accused of drug trafficking.

Sentenced to 24 years in prison in U.S also for drug trafficking, Fábio Lobo He claimed that he paid US$450,000 for the presidential campaign in the 2013 elections in Juan Orlando Hernandezaccused of creating a narcostate in Honduras during his two terms (2014-2022) protecting the drug and weapons trafficking.

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The first payment of US$200,000 was made to the former president’s sister (2014-2022) Hilda Hernandez. The second, worth US$250,000, was made personally to the candidate at his home in Olancho, in exchange for helping him obtain government contracts for his companies and those of his friends, the leaders of the Los Cartel. Hairsand “logistical information” for drug trafficking.

His son also accused the former president Wolf having received “contributions” of the Hairsin exchange for “protection” so that they would not be extradited, but despite the defense’s attempt to Hernandezdid not reveal the amount of the payments or the involvement of his father, president of the Honduras from 2010 to 2014, with drug trafficking.

When asked why he had not passed on this information to the Public Ministry when he was arrested in 2015 in Haiti, Lobo, a former judge of the Supreme Court and lawyer, acknowledged that then “I didn’t tell the judge”nothing about his father accepting bribes from drug dealers.

He only did so in January 2023, as part of his cooperation with the Public Prosecutor’s Office in exchange for the remission of the conviction, he admitted at the lawyer’s insistence, although he said “I do not remember” what he told prosecutors.

“I have no knowledge how much did they pay”he concluded, visibly upset, after ensuring that his father “had no involvement in his private matters”.

“I minimized my participation to get a lesser sentence” At the 24 years he was sentenced to, he justified it.

Determined to throw dirt on the accused, he remembered that his brother Tony Hernandez – sentenced to life in prison in the United States for drug trafficking – received another 4 million dollars from the Valle cartel for his campaign.

The day before, he said that Hernández had also told him that he had “received contributions from some members of the Sinaloa Cartel” by the powerful Joaquín “Chapo” Guzmán, the Mexican sentenced to life in prison in U.S.

Dressed in his canary yellow prison jumpsuit and shackled ankles, the prosecution witness worked the signal. The Cachiros which operated mainly in the north of Honduras and with that of Sinaloa Joaquim “Chapo” Guzmanhe acknowledged.

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end of trial

The judge Kevin Castel He hopes that on Monday he can complete the interrogation of witnesses before the jury meets to decide the fate of the former president, who is very active in interrogating witnesses.

In case it is found guilty of the three charges against him – forming a conspiracy to traffic and traffic drugs and possession of weapons – Hernandez He could be sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison.

According to the prosecution, these two men were key players in a network that sent 500 tons of cocaine to U.S between 2004 and 2022.

“This case is important for the defendant, for the Public Ministry and for the justice system itself. U.S”he told the jury at the beginning of Friday’s hearing.

Over the course of nearly two weeks of trial, a dozen witnesses revealed the close ties between the drug trafficking and politics in the Central American country.

Mostly, They are drug dealers who cooperate with justice, but there are also agents from the US Drug Enforcement Agency and even the fugitive girlfriend of a leader of the dangerous MS-13 gang.

One of the most striking testimonies was that of Devis Leonel Riveraleader with his brother Javier de Los Cachiros-both convicted in the United States- and one of the most bloodthirsty drug traffickers.

Rivera ended up collaborating and surrendering to the DEA as soon as he began to be persecuted by the Hernández government, which in 2014 ordered the first extradition to U.S. Since then, 38 people have been extradited for drug trafficking.

Despite having bribed JOH with “$250,000” In exchange for protection, according to Rivera, in 2013 Honduran authorities seized 118 properties.

The former president’s defense maintains that there is no evidence to prove that he received the bribes, and attempts to undermine credibility of the majority of witnesses, who have obtained or expect to obtain benefits from their cooperation.

Source: Elcomercio

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I am Jack Morton and I work in 24 News Recorder. I mostly cover world news and I have also authored 24 news recorder. I find this work highly interesting and it allows me to keep up with current events happening around the world.