Honduras ex-President Hernandez convicted at US drugs trial

Former Honduras President Juan Orlando Hernandez was found guilty on Friday of drug trafficking conspiracy by a U.S. jury, cementing the onetime U.S. ally’s fall from grace.
Jurors in Manhattan federal court needed about two days to reach a verdict, following a two week trial. Hernandez, 55, faces the possibility of life in prison. U.S. District Judge Kevin Castel will determine his sentence at a later date.
Hernandez led Honduras from 2014 to 2022.
During his presidency, the Central American country received more than $50 million in U.S. anti-narcotics assistance, and tens of millions of dollars in security and military aid.
But the Justice Department said he abused his power to run Honduras as a “narco-state,” accepting millions of dollars in bribes from traffickers to protect their U.S.-bound cocaine shipments.