This archive report was first published on 3 October 2019.
On October 3, 2019, US prosecutors in New York revealed that Mexican drug kingpin Joaquín Guzmán Loera, known as El Chapo, allegedly delivered $1 million to Juan Antonio (Tony) Hernández, the brother of Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández.
The money was intended for the president himself, according to the prosecution's opening statement in Tony Hernández's drug trafficking trial.
President Hernández, 50, has denied any involvement in drug crimes and claimed the allegations were made by traffickers angered by his tough-on-crime policies and extraditions.
However, US prosecutors alleged in a court filing that President Hernández was part of the conspiracy in which his brother was charged.
On Twitter, President Hernández strongly denied the allegations, calling them '100% false, absurd and ridiculous,' and suggesting they were less believable than 'Alice in Wonderland.'
The case has shaken Honduras deeply, with thousands of Hondurans leaving their country every month in search of better lives.
After the allegations against President Hernández became public, Hondurans renewed protests and calls for his resignation.
Prosecutors claim Tony Hernández's cocaine network thrived due to his political power in Honduras, with mayors, congressmen, military generals, police chiefs, and even his brother, the president, allegedly protecting and benefiting from the operation.
