Juan Orlando Hernández, the previous president of Honduras, is to be extradited to the U.S. Thursday, the federal government of Honduras introduced in a press launch late Wednesday evening, in keeping with TV Azteca Honduras. U.S. sources verify the extradition is scheduled.
Hernández, the discharge stated, can be extradited Thursday morning from Hernan Acosta Mejia airbase, though the flight was later delayed till early afternoon. He'll then be dropped at New York by authorities to face weapons and drug trafficking prices, in keeping with a senior U.S. official. Honduras' highest court docket cleared the best way final month for Hernández to be despatched to the U.S. after rejecting Hernández's attraction to cease the extradition.
Hernández was president from 2014 till his second time period concluded in January. He was arrested in Honduras' capital metropolis of Tegucigalpa in February.
U.S. prosecutors within the Southern District of New York are anticipated to unseal an indictment towards him this week. In recent times, they've accused Hernández of funding his political rise with income from drug traffickers in change for shielding their shipments. He has vehemently denied any wrongdoing.
Hernández has insisted that statements towards him have been made by drug traffickers extradited by his authorities who wished revenge.
This can be very uncommon for a former head of state to be extradited to a different nation to face prosecution for drug and weapons trafficking. On this case, Hernández was the chief of a rustic whose residents have been fleeing en masse to the U.S. due partially to this very sort of corruption. Honduras can also be a serious recipient of U.S. assist – over the previous 20 years, the U.S. has given extra assist to Honduras — $125 million — than another nation.