Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
Shortly after meeting in a court in New York the guilty verdict of Geovanny Fuentes for three crimes related to drug trafficking and weapons, the Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernandez He spoke through his social networks, first in English and then in Spanish.
In his message, the president defended his administration’s fight against drug trafficking, “ any story of the fight against drug trafficking in Honduras that omits the unprecedented 95% (official US data) reduction we have achieved is generally just one medium for dramatic headlines. to promote the false testimony of the drug traffickers we have defeated, ”the president wrote.
Prosecutors from the Southern District of New York said in the trial that, since 2006, presidents of Honduras have received bribes from drug traffickers in exchange for protection and a promise not to be extradited, but they confirm that “Juan Orlando Hernández went even further and associated with defendant Geovanny Fuentes Ramírez to produce and trade cocaine to the United States, although he has not been charged. “
Lea: The president of Honduras assures drug traffickers give “false testimony” against him
Meanwhile, President Hernández denies all charges and assures that the former head of Los Cachiros, Leonel Rivera, who cooperated with the prosecution on this trial, he lies to reduce his prison sentence and to retaliate for his fight against the drug trade.
Guilty of three counts
After more than a day of deliberation, the 12 members of the jury determined that Fuentes Ramírez is not only guilty of drug trafficking, but also of possession of weapons and destructive devices.
Fuentes Ramírez was arrested in February 2020 in Miami, in connection with the case against José Antonio “Tony” Hernández, convicted of drug trafficking in October 2019.
Related: Video of Geovanny Fuentes’ interrogation after being arrested
After hearing the verdict, the suspect requested, through an interpreter, that his family visit the prison. Judge Kevin Castel scheduled the lecture of the meaning for June 22 next
The togado also plans to read the verdict against Tony Hernández on March 30. In the case of Tony Hernández, who faced the same charge, the prosecution has asked the judge to impose a life sentence.