The man who was president of Honduras until just a few weeks ago will now face a federal judge. The United States has asked that former President Juan Orlando Hernández be extradited to stand trial on drug trafficking and weapons charges. He appeared in court on Wednesday morning in Honduras. Honduran Security Minister Ramón Sabillón told reporters in a raucous press conference that the arrest went off without incident. Sabillón had been fired by Hernández in 2014, after making several high-profile arrests of drug traffickers as head of the national police.
Sabillón said Hernández conspired with cartels, causing great social harm to Honduras and its justice system. Hernández has long said that he's innocent and that testimony against him was coerced by prosecutors. Tuesday night in the Honduran capital, drivers honked horns, revelers waved Honduran flags, and some held up pictures of the chained Hernández with the words "Thanks U.S.A." and "This is what we dreamed of."
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