US asks Honduras to arrest, extradite ex-leader

(15 Feb 2022) The United States formally requested the arrest and extradition of former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez, less than three weeks after he left office. Various contingents of the Honduras National Police, including special forces, as well as military police were present around Hernandez’s neighbourhood in Tegucigalpa Monday night. Barriers at all entrances kept out the press and even residents. Members of the security forces entered the area with weapons, wearing balaclavas and with handcuffs dangling from their ballistic vests. Some neighbours said the house had been dark and they believe unoccupied. The Supreme Court of Justice scheduled an urgent meeting Tuesday morning to select a judge to handle the extradition request. A stand-off ensued. The specific charges Hernandez’s faces are not known, but federal prosecutors in New York had previously named him a co-conspirator in a drug trafficking case, alleging that his political rise was fueled with drug pro