U.S. asks Honduras to arrest, extradite ex-President Hernandez
CTV
The United States formally requested the arrest and extradition of former President Juan Orlando Hernandez less than three weeks after he left office, after years of speculation about his alleged links to drug traffickers.
Honduran security forces surrounded Hernandez's neighborhood Monday night and the Supreme Court of Justice scheduled an urgent meeting Tuesday to select a judge to handle the extradition request. A standoff ensued.
The specific charges Hernandez faces were not released, but federal prosecutors in New York had previously named him a co-conspirator in a drug trafficking case, alleging that his political rise was fueled with drug profits. Hernandez has long denied any wrongdoing.
Nicole Navas, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of Justice, declined to comment.
In a video released by Hernandez's legal team, apparently from inside his home, attorney Felix Avila said that everything would have to wait until a judge was selected. "Meanwhile, it is understood that no arrest order exists."
