Ex-head of Honduras police pleads guilty to drug trafficking; darkens outlook for ex-president
For years, Juan Carlos Bonilla, better known as “El Tigre,” was a feared figure in Honduras
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) — For years, Juan Carlos Bonilla, better known as “El Tigre,” was a feared figure in Honduras. His roots were in the military and he brought that bearing to the National Police that he ultimately led.
But Bonilla’s tenure was plagued by allegations of human rights violations, including running death squad s and being a hired killer for drug traffickers. On Tuesday, nearly two years after he was extradited to the United States, he pleaded guilty to drug trafficking in a federal court in New York.
By pleading guilty to a single drug trafficking charge, Bonilla avoided a trial scheduled to begin Monday and likely a much longer sentence. His plea also dramatically darkened the landscape for former president Juan Orlando Hernández, who had been his co-defendant.
U.S. District Judge Kevin Castel confirmed Wednesday that Hernández’s trial would begin Monday.
