US requests extradition of former Honduran President Hernández

Tuesday, February 15th 2022 - 09:03 UTC

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It was still unknown whether Hernández was at his home, but law enforcement officers surrounded his residence pending a ruling on his extradition

A large-scale police raid was underway Monday evening in Tegucigalpa's San Ignacio neighborhood while the Supreme Court is still to grant or reject the request from the United States to extradite former President Juan Orlando Hernández to stand trial for alleged drug trafficking.

Hernández's lawyer Hermes Ramírez said in a TV interview that security forces were stationed near the former president's residence in an alleged action to capture him, violating his rights.
It was still to be determined at the time of the raid whether Hernández was at his home and, if so, if he would voluntarily turn himself in.

The United States Monday asked Honduras for Hernández's extradition for his alleged links to drug trafficking.

The Honduran Foreign Ministry had sent the official US documents to the Supreme Court for a final ruling on the issue.

The Supreme Court had convened in plenum late Monday to appoint a rapporteur who was to decide on the extradition request.

The US request is the first since the new Government of Honduras took office, with Xiomara Castro as president of the Central American country, on January 27.

Washington had revoked Hernández's visa to enter that country from July 2021, while he was still President of Honduras. His first term of office began Jan. 27, 2014 and ended on January 27, 2018, when he was sworn in for a second mandate, which ended last month.

The US has declassified Feb. 7 Hernández's had been blacklisted last July due to his alleged links to drug trafficking. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had explained Hernandez's addition to the list had been decided in the face of multiple and credible media reports indicating he was allegedly involved in acts of corruption and drug trafficking.