by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack
SDNY COURTHOUSE, Dec 29 – After the president of Honduras' brother Tony Hernandez was convicted of drug trafficking and sentenced to life plus thirty years, on April 21, 2022 the ex-president himself, Juan Orlando Hernandez, was extradited to the United States.
[Espanol aqui]
Inner City Press which covered the trials of Tony Hernandez and Giovanny Fuentes Ramirez immediately published the unsealed JOH indictment, which was returned on January 27, 2022 but left under seal.
On June 29, 2023, the JOH trial was delayed: "Trial is scheduled for February 5, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. in Courtroom 11D.
On November 22, 2023, the US Attorney's Office wrote in to say that while it will arrange for JOH to meet his lawyer in the SCIF the following week, he cannot see classified information there, unlike Joshua Schulte (about whom Inner City Press published a book, Brutal Kangaroo) and Cholo Abdi Abdullah. Letter on Patreon here.
On December 19, as to co-defendant Tigre Bonilla, Judge Castel ruled: "ORDER as to Juan Carlos Bonilla Valladares; The trial of this action has been long set for February 5, 2024. The Court does not anticipate moving that trial date or granting a severance."
On December 20, Judge Castel docketed a partially redacted CIPA order allowing the US to summarize but not give some information deemed classified - order on Patreon here.
On December 29 JOH's lawyer filed a renewed request for discovery, listing as his work for the US opening embassies in Jerusalem and Taipei - and then redacting two items.
The case is US v. Diaz Morales, et al., 15-cr-379 (Castel)
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