The judge emphasized that the severe penalty aims to serve as a deterrent to individuals who abuse their power and believe their privileged position will shield them from accountability for their wrongdoing, stating that no one is above the law, regardless of their education, appearance, or social status.
Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández was handed a 45-year prison sentence in a New York court on Wednesday for his role in a large-scale drug trafficking conspiracy, which saw him collude with drug cartels to smuggle over 400 tons of cocaine into the United States over a period of 10 years.
On Wednesday, Judge P. Kevin Castel handed down a sentence of 45 years in federal prison and a fine of $8 million to former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, according to a report by Larry Neumeister of the Associated Press.
The judge emphasized that the severe penalty aims to serve as a deterrent to individuals who abuse their power and believe their privileged position will shield them from accountability for their wrongdoing, stating that no one is above the law, regardless of their education, appearance, or social status.
Following a two-week trial in Manhattan federal court in March, a jury found Hernández guilty, a verdict that drew significant attention in his native Honduras.
Despite the conviction, Hernández maintained his innocence at his sentencing, stating through an interpreter, 'I am innocent. I was wrongly and unjustly accused.
The Judge accused Hernández of protecting a select group of traffickers.
Prosecutors and probation officers had recommended a sentence of life imprisonment plus 30 years, but the court instead handed down a 45-year sentence to former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, 55, who led the country of 10 million people for two terms.
Hernández was arrested at his home in Tegucigalpa in 2022, just three months after leaving office, and was subsequently extradited to the United States in April of that year to face drug trafficking and corruption charges.