Juan Orlando Hernandez’s (JOH) criminal network thrived not just because of his political power in Honduras, but because he received tremendous– almost unconditional– support from the United States and Canada for so many years. As the trial starts today in New York, below is an overview of the basic information (the who, what, where, when, why, how) of what JOH is facing and what the trial is about.
Take action now
- Canadian residents: Click here for an organizational sign-on letter. Click here to contact Members of Parliament.
- U.S. residents: Click here for an organizational sign-on. Click here to contact your Congressional representative.
The Basics About the Trial Against Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández.
By: Kathleen D. Smith
Although the upcoming trial is against the former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, JOH is considered a co-conspirator along with ten other Honduran drug traffickers. Together they all conspired to traffic thousands of kilograms of cocaine to the United States while they were well-connected and influential Congressional representatives, high-level police officers, business associates, and in the case of JOH, the two-term president of Honduras.
Who: 10 Co-conspirators
1. Juan Orlando Hernández (a/k/a JOH): Former President of Honduras. Indicted on drug-trafficking and firearms charges. Read the full unsealed indictment here. As of February 6th, JOH is the only defendant to be on trial starting on February 12th.
Two Co-conspirators who recently plead guilty:
2. Mauricio Hernández Pineda: A former high-ranking member of the Honduran National Police. Allegedly supported and participated in the drug trafficking activities, as well as provided armed security to multi-ton cocaine shipments sent through Honduras. He is a cousin to Juan Antonio Hernández Alvarado and JOH. He pleaded guilty to conspiring to import cocaine into the United States on February 2, 2024. Read his indictment here.
3. Juan Carlos Bonilla Valladares (a/k/a EL Tigre). Former chief of Honduran national police faces “charges of conspiring to import cocaine into the United States and related weapons offenses involving the use and possession of machine guns and destructive devices.” Read his indictment here. Plead guilty to conspiring to import to cocaine into the United States on February 6, 2024.
His other co-conspirators:
4. Juan Antonio “Tony” Hernández Alvarado: Former Honduran congressman and brother of Juan Orlando Hernández convicted and sentenced to life in prison for distributing 185 tons of cocaine, firearms, and false statement offenses. Read more here: (Case terminated 3/31/2021).
5. Mario Jose Calix Hernández: Considered to be the “middle/right-hand man” to Tony Hernandez. He was charged “(1) conspiring to import cocaine into the United States, (2) using and carrying machine guns and destructive devices during, and possessing machine guns and destructive devices in furtherance of, the cocaine importation conspiracy, and (3) conspiring to use and carry machine guns and destructive devices during, and to possess machine guns and destructive devices in furtherance of, the cocaine importation conspiracy.” Read more about Calix Hernández’s ties here.
6. Victor Hugo Diaz Morales (a/k/a El Rojo): Former leader of a drug-trafficking organization based in Honduras and Guatemala. Allegedly paid Hernandez $40,000 in exchange for protection by the Honduran Military. (S7 15 Cr. 379 (PKC). He is now a cooperating witness for the government.
7. Geovanny Fuentes Ramirez: convicted in March 2021 for “importing tons of cocaine into the United States and protecting his illicit drug business with machineguns. In committing his narcotics crimes, Fuentes Ramirez bribed high-ranking Honduran officials and was responsible for brutal acts of violence and murder. Fuentes Ramirez’s path of destruction, both in violence and flooding the United States with cocaine, has finally come to an end, and he will now spend his life in federal prison.” Read the Justice Department’s press release about his sentencing here. (Case terminated 2/9/2022)
The next four co-conspirators were indicted in 2019:
8. Amado Beltran Beltran (a/k/a Don Amado): from at least 2004 up to and including 2019, in Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico and elsewhere Beltran among three others were charged with Conspiracy to import cocaine, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices.
9. Otto Rene Salguero Morales (TERMINATED 6/28/2023)
10. Ronald Enrique Salguero Portillo
11. Fernando Felix Rodriguez
What
JOH has been indicted and charged in the Southern District of New York on multiple counts. According to the Department of Justice, JOH was indicted and charged by the grand jury for:
- Conspiring to import cocaine into the United States, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison.
- Using and carrying machine guns and destructive devices during, and possessing machine guns and destructive devices in furtherance of, the cocaine importation conspiracy, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison;
- Conspiring to use and carry machine guns and destructive devices during, and to possess machine guns and destructive devices in furtherance of, the cocaine importation conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Where
Southern District of New York, Federal Court.
When
In March 2022, JOH was arrested in his home in Honduras. The Honduran Supreme Court approved his extradition. After fighting the extradition for almost a month, JOH was extradited and surrendered to the United States Government on April 21, 2022. After multiple motions for continuance, the trial is set to start Tuesday, February 20, 2024.
Why
Throughout the campaign, we will be posting daily trial summaries that answer the ‘why’ as U.S. prosecutors present their arguments against JOH. We will also be posting about ‘why’ the U.S. decided to charge, extradite and try JOH, a long-time U.S.and Canadian ally, after so many years.
To Follow and Support the Campaign
We are campaigning to hold the U.S. and Canada responsible for supporting the Honduran narco-state as former President Juan Orlando Hernández & police officers go to trial in New York on February 2024 (pending any further date changes).
- Read Update #1: U.S. and Canadian support for the coup: Creating the conditions for the construction of a narco-state.
- Read Update #2: Trial date change. The campaign continues.
- Read Update #3: “The U.S. government’s go-to man on the war on drug trafficking” pleads guilty to drug trafficking.
- Read Update #4: The U.S. and Canada Supported Three Contested and Fraudulent Elections (2009, 2013, 2017).
- Read Update #5: Live from New York.
Take Action
- Canadian residents: Click here for an organizational sign-on letter. Click here to contact Members of Parliament.
- U.S. residents: Click here for an organizational sign-on. Click here to contact your Congressional representative
Facebook: Honduras Solidarity Network & Honduras Now
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Web: Bit.ly/NarcoTrialCampaign
Contact: karen@hondurasnow.org & honsolnetwork@gmail.com
To donate: hondurasnow.org/donate
