NEW YORK: The trial of former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez, which was scheduled to begin Monday in New York, has been postponed until February 20, one of his lawyers said Saturday.
Hernandez was extradited to the United States on drug charges in 2022, accused of helping to smuggle 500 tons of cocaine in exchange for millions of dollars in bribes.
His trial was postponed because US prosecutors “confirmed that they were unable to complete the redaction of classified information” they were supposed to hand over to the defence, lawyer Raymond Colon told media.
Hernandez, 55, pleads not guilty.
As president, Hernandez worked closely with former US President Donald Trump’s administration, he won praise from Washington for his government’s work in drug enforcement and the fight against organized crime.
If Hernandez is found guilty of the three charges against him — conspiracy to commit drug trafficking and two counts of trafficking and possession of weapons — he could spend the rest of his life behind bars.
A conviction would put the ex-president in the company of other former Latin American leaders tried and found guilty in the USA, including Panama’s Manuel Noriega in 1992 and Guatemala’s Alfonso Portillo in 2014.
