Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
Shortly after meeting in a New York court on Geovanny Fonts guilty verdict for three crimes related to drug trafficking and weapons, the Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernández he spoke through his social media, first in English and then in Spanish.
In his message, the president defended his government’s fight against drug trafficking, “any narrative about the battle against drug trafficking in Honduras that omits the unprecedented 95% reduction (official US data) that we achieved , is usually just a vehicle for dramatic headlines to promote the false testimony of the narcos we defeated, ”the ruler wrote.
New York’s southern district prosecutors said in the trial that Honduran presidents since 2006 have received bribes from drug traffickers in exchange for protection and a promise not to be extradited, but claim that “Joan Orlando Hernández was until all further and partnered with defendant Geovanny Fonts Ramirez to produce and traffic cocaine in the United States, although they have not charged him. “
Read: President of Honduras says narcos give “false testimony” against him
Meanwhile, President Hernandez denies all allegations and says that the former head of Los Cachiros, Leonel Rivera, who collaborated in this trial with the prosecution, lies to reduce his prison sentence and to avenge his fight against drug trafficking.
Guilty of three charges
After more than a day of deliberation, the 12 members of the jury have determined that Fuentes Ramírez is guilty not only of drug trafficking but also possession of weapons and destruction equipment.
Fonts Ramirez was arrested in February 2020 in Miami, In connection with the case against José Antonio “Tony” Hernández, found guilty of drug trafficking in October 2019.
related: Video of the interrogation of Geovanny Fonts after being captured
After hearing the verdict, the defendant requested through an interpreter that he be visited by his family in prison. Judge Kevin Castel scheduled the reading of the sentence for next June 22nd.
The togat is also scheduled to read the sentence against Tony Hernández on March 30. In the case of Tony Hernandez, who faced the same charges, the prosecution has asked the judge to impose life imprisonment.