Juan Antonio Hernández Alvarado, known as Tony Hernández (born June 13, 1978), is a
Honduran convicted drug trafficker, lawyer, politician, member of the
National Party of Honduras
The National Party of Honduras (PNH; ) is a conservative political party in Honduras founded on 27 February 1902, by Manuel Bonilla Chirinos. Historically it has been one of the two most influential parties in the country. The party's platform ...
and former deputy in the
National Congress of Honduras
The National Congress () is the legislative branch of the government of Honduras.
Organization
The Honduran Congress is a unicameral legislature. The nominal President of the National Congress of Honduras is currently Luis Redondo. Its m ...
(2014–2018) representing
Lempira. He is the brother of
Juan Orlando Hernández
Juan Orlando Hernández Alvarado (; born 28 October 1968), also known by his initials JOH, is a Honduran lawyer, former politician and convicted drug trafficker who was 38th president of Honduras from 27 January 2014 to 27 January 2022 for two ...
, the former
President of Honduras
The president of Honduras (), officially known as the President of the Republic of Honduras (), is the head of state and head of government of Honduras, and the Commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces. According to the 1982 Constitution of H ...
. On November 23, 2018, Juan Antonio Hernández was arrested in
Miami
Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...
on
drug trafficking
A drug is any chemical substance other than a nutrient or an essential dietary ingredient, which, when administered to a living organism, produces a biological effect. Consumption of drugs can be via inhalation, injection, smoking, ingestion, ...
charges. On November 26, 2018, he was formally charged in a
federal court with importing tons of
cocaine
Cocaine is a tropane alkaloid and central nervous system stimulant, derived primarily from the leaves of two South American coca plants, ''Erythroxylum coca'' and ''Erythroxylum novogranatense, E. novogranatense'', which are cultivated a ...
into the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
between 2004 and 2016, as well as on weapons charges.
On October 18, 2019, he was found guilty of drug trafficking charges. Hernández used the millions of dollars he earned through the drug trade and bribes to help fund the National Party of Honduras, led by his brother.
This included a million-dollar bribe from former
Sinaloa Cartel
The Sinaloa Cartel (, , after the native Sinaloa region), also known as the ''CDS'', the ''Guzmán-Loera Organization'', the ''Federation'', the ''Sinaloa Cartel'', or the Pacific Cartel, is a large, drug trafficking transnational organized cri ...
leader
Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán
Joaquín Archivaldo Guzmán Loera (; born 4 April 1957), commonly known as "El Chapo", is a Mexican former drug lord and a former leader within the Sinaloa Cartel. Guzmán is believed to be responsible for the deaths of over 34,000 people, ...
. Despite his brother pledging to cooperate with US
counter-narcotic operations in return for economic aid to Honduras, Hernández was also found to have alerted drug traffickers about US-led night raids. Hernández was accused of ordering the assassinations of multiple people, including former business partner
Nery López Sanabria after he was convicted. In addition, he also arranged the murders of López Sanabria's lawyer as well as the warden of the prison that housed López Sanabria.
On March 30, 2021, Tony Hernández was sentenced to
life in prison
Life imprisonment is any sentence of imprisonment under which the convicted individual is to remain incarcerated for the rest of their natural life (or until pardoned or commuted to a fixed term). Crimes that result in life imprisonment are co ...
by U.S. District Judge
P. Kevin Castel.
His brother, the former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández was also convicted March 8 2024 in New York of charges that he conspired with drug traffickers and used his military and national police force to enable tons of cocaine to make it unhindered into the United States.
Family life
His parents are Juan Hernández Villanueva and Elvira Alvarado Castillo. He is married to Miriam Vanessa Cruz Sierra. He has 16 siblings, including
Juan Orlando Hernández
Juan Orlando Hernández Alvarado (; born 28 October 1968), also known by his initials JOH, is a Honduran lawyer, former politician and convicted drug trafficker who was 38th president of Honduras from 27 January 2014 to 27 January 2022 for two ...
and
Hilda Hernández (1966–2017).
References
External links
Indictment of Juan Antonio Hernández
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hernández, Juan Antonio
1978 births
Deputies of the National Congress of Honduras
21st-century Honduran lawyers
Living people
People from Lempira Department
National Party of Honduras politicians
Honduran people imprisoned abroad
Honduran politicians convicted of crimes
Honduran prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment
Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by the United States federal government