The U.S. federal prosecutors have pressed charges against the former national police chief of Honduras, Juan Carlos Bonilla. He has been accused of trafficking tonnes of cocaine into the U.S. on behalf of the Honduran president, Juan Orlando Hernández.

Following the official announcement, the office of the Honduran president released a statement mentioning that the drug trafficking accusations against the president are completely false. The president’s brother, Juan Antonio “Tony” Hernández, was also convicted of similar charges nearly six months ago.

The Honduran president was not mentioned as a co-conspirator during his brother’s trial, however, the U.S. has continued to mention him as an ally to his brother. He has not only been implicated for drug trafficking but also corruption. However, no charges have been pressed directly against him.

The complaint against Bonilla has been filed by the Southern District of New York. The complaint accuses him of conspiracy, extreme violence and the murder of a rival in the drug trafficking world.

The prosecutors mention that all of it was ordered and co-conspired by President Hernández and his brother. Bonilla was given special assignments, which includes murder.

Bonilla, more popularly known as El Tigre, was appointed as the Police Chief in Honduras back in May 2012. Bonilla collaborated with the US counter-narcotics forces working in Honduras and also assembled a team that worked closely with the U.s. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to pin down high-profile drug traffickers, including the president’s brother.

But when Bonilla was himself identified as the co-conspirator of Tony Hernández, he used his relationship with the DEA as his proof of innocence.

The allegation of murder and allegations followed, all of which were denied by him.

“I am not a villain. I am a former officer of the national police with the rank of general who served my country and served society,” Bonilla said in a statement.

Members of Honduras National Police
Members of Honduras National Police stand outside the COBRA headquarters as they refuse to crack down on demonstrators in Tegucigalpa on December 5, 2017. Honduran electoral authorities concluded a recount early Monday, more than a week after a bitterly contested presidential election that put President Juan Orlando Hernandez in the lead, but they held back from officially declaring him the winner. The police are refusing to crack down on supporters of the candidate for the Opposition Alliance against the Dictatorship, Salvador Nasralla, who refuse to recognise the results announced by the electoral authorities. Photo: Getty Images
RELATED STORIES

© 2024 Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.