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By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon, Thread Video
Honduras - The Source - The Root - etc

SDNY COURTHOUSE, June 9 – During the trial that convicted Tony Hernandez, the brother of Honduras' president Juan Orlando Hernandez (JOH), on all four counts of guns and narcotics trafficking and false statements, the Honduran National Police came up again and again in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

 Now on June 9, the SDNY prosecutors have written to Judge Castel: "Re: United States v. Geovanny Fuentes Ramirez, S6 15 Cr. 379 (PKC) Dear Judge Castel: The Government respectfully writes to request, after conferring with defense counsel and chambers, that the Court schedule an arraignment for defendant Geovanny Fuentes Ramirez on June 22, 2020 at 11 a.m. The Government further requests that time be excluded in the interest of justice, pursuant to Title 18, United States Code, Section 3161(h)(7)(A), until June 22, 2020." Inner City Press will continue to cover this case.

 On June 3, two days before Tony Hernandez' already postponed sentencing set for June 5, his new lawyer asked for another extension to July 6 - and says that probably won't be enough: "Re: United States v. Juan Antonio Hernandez Alvarado 15 Cr. 379 Dear Judge Castel: I represent Mr. Hernandez Alvarado. I write to request that Mr. Hernandez Alvarado’s sentencing, currently scheduled for June 5, be adjourned for at least a month."

  Now on June 4 Judge Castel has postponed the sentencing until September 16: "MEMO ENDORSEMENT as to Juan Antonio Hernandez Alvarado (2) on [161] LETTER MOTION addressed to Judge P. Kevin Castel from Peter E. Brill dated June 3, 2020 re: Request to Continue Sentencing. ENDORSEMENT: Sentencing is adjourned until September 16, 2020 at 11:00 a.m. (Signed by Judge P. Kevin Castel)." Justice delayed is justice denied. Inner City Press will stay on the case.

On May 27 it emerged that co-defendant Mauricio Hernandez Pineda has another free / taxpayer paid Criminal Justice Act lawyer: "NOTICE OF ATTORNEY APPEARANCE: Jennifer Rushing Louis-Jeune appearing for Mauricio Hernandez Pineda. Appearance Type: CJA Appointment." Where did all his money go?

 On May 11, this on Yani Benjamin Rosenthal Hidalgo: "The defendant pled guilty to engaging in a sophisticated money-laundering operation with the leaders of the largest and most violent drug-trafficking organization in Honduras known as the “Cachiros.” Through his conduct, which occurred over a period of at least five years, the defendant provided the Cachiros with sources of funding for their criminal enterprise, a means to launder their narcotics proceeds, and public legitimacy, thereby contributing to an environment that allowed the Cachiros to thrive in their country and to import over 100 tons of cocaine into the United States. In connection with his plea, the defendant admitted that he authorized a company he controlled, Empacadora Continental, S.A. de C.V. (“Empacadora”), to purchase narcotics-derived cattle from Ganaderos Agricultores Del Norte S De RL De CV, a front company created by the leaders of the Cachiros. Empacadora, in turn, processed and exported meat to the United States, among other places, in exchange for payments to Empacadora from U.S.-based companies that totaled $500,000. In addition, the defendant and his co-conspirators, including his father (the former Vice President of Honduras), used their political power and business holdings in other ways in order to assist the Cachiros in laundering millions of dollars in drug-trafficking proceeds. They helped the Cachiros launder drug-trafficking proceeds through, and obtain sham loans in the name of, three other Honduras-based businesses. These financial transactions in Honduras totaled over $15 million. The defendant also separately accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in drug money, styled as purported “campaign contributions,” from one of the leaders of the Cachiros and another major Honduran drug trafficker. At bottom, the defendant took advantage of his vast political and social power to facilitate the activities of violent drug-traffickers in a country that has been ravaged by narcotics trafficking. The defendant did so despite the fact that he was one of the most powerful individuals, and a member of one of the most powerful families, in Honduras, who did not need to accept any business from drug-traffickers in order to maintain his social position or vast wealth. Sadly, the defendant, who had opportunities many in his country do not, chose to use these opportunities in the worst way possible. And the system that the defendant helped proliferate continues to this day—as in part reflected by recent prosecutions in this District, rampant cocaine trafficking and corruption continues in Honduras, aided in large part by politicians and government officials like the defendant. See, e.g., United States v. Fabio Lobo, 15 Cr. 174 (LGS) (Fabio Lobo, the son of former Honduran President Porfirio Lobo Sosa, pleaded guilty to a drug-trafficking charge and was subsequently sentenced to 24 years’ imprisonment); United States v. Mejia Vargas, et al., 15 Cr. 174 (LGS) (seven members of the Honduran National Police (“HNP”) pled guilty to weapons charges and/or drug-trafficking offenses); United States v. Fredy Renan Najera Montoya, 15 Cr. 378 (PGG) (Honduran Congressman pled guilty to drug-trafficking and firearms offenses and acknowledged that he facilitated the importation of at least approximately 20,000 kilograms of cocaine into the United States); United States v. Juan Antonio Hernandez Alvarado, 15 Cr. 379 (PKC) (former Honduran Congressman and brother of current President of Honduras convicted of drug trafficking and weapons offenses after trial, faces a 40-year mandatory minimum sentence)."
 
  This while still-free President Juan Orlando Hernandez, implicated in the case, is now promoting hydroxychloroquine as countering Covid-19, and seeks $340 million from the IMF, here.

 On March 3 there was another arrest, this one citing "CC-4" while UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres continues to refusal all questions about his support for involved Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernandez. The March 3 announcement is that "GEOVANNY DANIEL FUENTES RAMIREZ was charged in Manhattan federal court with conspiring to import cocaine into the United States and related weapons offenses involving the use and possession of machineguns and destructive devices. Since then: Maduro...

  Earlier, Inner City Press first reported that Mauricio Hernández Pineda, a former member of the National Police of Honduras,  has been arrested and detained on consent. He signed a financial affidavit of poverty - ironic - and was assigned CJA court appointed counsel, Michael Martin. Soon he will appeared before SDNY Judge Castel. Inner City Press will remain on the case.

  Also during Tony Hernandez' trial, the drug ledgers of one Nery Orlando López Sanabria a/k/a Magdaleno were used by the SDNY prosecutors.

  Here is an Inner City Press tweeted photo of notebook mentioning "JOH," in Spanish. Inner City Press has repeated asked the United Nations, in New York and Geneva, for comment. Dead silence.

A week after the Tony Hernandez verdict, Magdaleno was murdered in a supposedly maximum security prison in Santa Barbara, Honduras.

  The video are very troubling [WARNING] including the guards letting the killers in, here.

  UNSG Antonio Guterres refused all Press questions about Honduras during the trial and in the nine days since the verdict. On October 29 Inner City Press has asked: "what are the comments and actions of Guterres on the video taped killing of Nery Orlando López a/k/a Magdaleno Meza Fúnez, whose notebooks were used to convict Presidential brother Tony Hernandez in the SDNY court this month? Now Reinero Valle has, as Madgaleno had before his assassination, asked to be moved out of that El Pozo prison due to threats to silence him as a witness, so far without response to his lawyer Nazario Luque? Again, immediately provide the report / read-out of Guterres' four person panel sent to Honduras, and complete read out of his meeting with JOH." Now as of November 2, as Guterres presumptively uses El Chapo's money via JOH to visit strongmen leaders in Turkey and Thailand then, uncontested, waste money at his real home in Lisbon, nothing. Total corrupt.

This while Guterres' UN, despite its protestations and misuse of the concept, enable fake news in Honduras.

   On October 27 a publication in Honduras said the UN office of human rights has said nothing. But nothing had been emailed out to its press list, and nothing could be found on its website in Geneva - it turns out news it doesn't want anyone or at least not the drug funded dictators it answers to see it, it puts on obscure sub-sites, see below.

At 9 am on October 28 Geneva time Inner City Press in writing asked UN "High Commissioner for Human Rights" Michelle Bachelet and her spokesman Rupert Colville this: "Hello, this is a Press request for OHCHR / Bachelet comment on the murder, on video, in Honduras of 'Magdeleno' whose drug trafficking notebook were used in recent SDNY conviction of Presidential brother Tony Hernandez, a trial Inner City Press covered every day. See video of killing here.

   More on Patreon here.

  Inner City Press which covered the trial daily has asked the UN for the comment of SG Antonio Guterres who met with JOH in September 2019 and did not even mention corruption, much less drug trafficking.

 On October 26 after the murder and release of the video, Inner City Press went to (try to) pose the question to Guterres. The response? Video here. Three UN security vehicles, and even a publicly funded NYPD detective, "protecting" Guterres who already wastes untold public funds on security. Disgusting. A protest has been called for, and is needed - @InnerCityPress response here.  More on Patreon here.

Inner City Press on October 18 asked the defendant's lawyer Omar Malone about this client's post arrest statement, the admitted murders by the cooperating witnesses, and upcoming sentencing submission. Video and answers here.

    Here was the post arrest statement as initially put in to the jury, as uploaded to YouTube by Inner City Press, here. The case is US v. Diaz Morales, 15-cr-00379 (Castel).