Some Cartel Kingpins are Better Connected than Others

 

by Pa Rock

Citizen Journalist

Things are currently a mess in the Southern Caribbean with no signs of getting better.  

The United States has been blowing up "drug boats" from Venezuela and Columbia in the  Caribbean and Eastern Pacific for three months without offering any proof that the boats and humans they are destroying were actually transporting illegal drugs.  According to information obtained from Wikipedia today, as of November 15th, 83 people had been killed in 21 strikes on 22 vessels - 11 in the Caribbean and 11 in the Eastern Pacific.

The two ranking members on the US Senate's Armed Services Committee, GOP Senator Roger Wicker and Democratic Senator Jack Reed, issued a joint statement yesterday saying their committee will be investigating allegations that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued an order that there be no survivors of a boat bombing in the Caribbean on September 2, 2025, and as a result a second attack was launched that blew apart the two lone survivors of an earlier attack who were still in the water. The terminology "war crime" is being bandied about.

Donald Trump is steadfast in his support of the US attacks on the boats and is now talking openly of moving the Venezuelan drug interdictions to land, something he says will be easier to conduct.  Yesterday he issued an ominous warning that Venezuelan air space should be considered "closed."  Admiral James Stavridis, a military analyst for CNN and a former NATO Supreme Allied Commander, told CNN:  "We should read into that strikes are very probably going to occur within the course of this week."

President Nicholas Maduro of Venezuela was indicted by the US Justice Department in 2020 on drug trafficking charges, and in August of this year US Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a $50 million reward for information leading to his arrest.  The US wants Maduro in the United States and behind bars!  What a sanctimonious statement about the evils of drug trafficking that would be.

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But let's place all of that drama on a shelf for a moment and look at the drug politics of another country in the same region.

Juan Hernandez, the former president of Honduras from 2014-2022, was invetigated by the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), convicted in a US court, and sentenced to 45 years in prison - and fined $8 million - for offenses related to drug trafficking.  The allegation on which he was convicted included conspiring with drug cartels to move more than 400 tons of cocaine through Honduras and ultimately to the United States.  He was rewarded with millions of dollars in bribes which he used, at least in part, to fuel his political career.  Prosecutors said that Hernandez extradited drug dealers who got in his way to the United States for prosecution, and rewarded those who paid him.

Juan Hernandez learned the hard way that you don't mess with Uncle Sam, and he is currently serving that 45-year prison term.  The official language from the DOJ homepage said Juan Hernandez was convicted of  "conspiring to distribute more than 400 tons of cocaine and related firearms offenses."  That's some serious shit!

But not to worry about poor Juan, because he has some big boy protection - and is getting a full pardon from . . . guess who?  Donald John Trump, that's who!

Earlier this week, Trump, who is openly meddling in today's Honduran presidential election and threatening to cut off US aid to the small nation if his candidate does not win, posted the following:

"I will be granting a Full and Complete Pardon to Former President Juan Orlando Hernandez who has been, according to many people that I greatly respect, treated harshly and unfairly.  This cannot be allowed to happen, especially now, after Tito Asfura wins the Election, and when Hounduras will be on its way to Great Politicaal and Financial Success.   VOTE FOR TITO ASFURA AS PRESIDENT, AND CONGRATULATIONS TO JUAN ORLANDO HERNANDEZ ON YOUR UPCOMING PARDON."

Yes, congratulations Juan.  Well played.  

When it comes to the world of drug kingpins, some are obviously better connected than others - or more lavish with the cash.