The former chief of the Honduran National Police, Juan Carlos Bonilla Valladares, also known as “El Tigre” or “The Tiger,” has been sentenced to 19 years in prison after pleading guilty to a conspiracy to protect shipments of cocaine destined for the United States. The 64-year-old Valladares, who led the police force for a year in 2012, was described by prosecutors as rising to power through enabling cocaine trafficking and using violence, including murder, to safeguard the drug trade.
Prosecutors had sought a 30-year prison term for Valladares, while his defense attorney requested a 10-year sentence, emphasizing that his client had not always been involved in illegal activities and denied any involvement in murders. The defense also highlighted Valladares' health issues and expressed concerns about his safety if he were to return to Honduras after serving his sentence.
According to prosecutors, Valladares accepted bribes to provide armed protection for cocaine shipments passing through Honduras. He allegedly directed corrupt law enforcement officers to safeguard these shipments and shared sensitive information about impending raids with his co-conspirators. Valladares was arrested in March 2022 and was identified as a co-conspirator of former President Juan Orlando Hernández and his brother Tony Hernández.
Former President Juan Orlando Hernández was sentenced to 45 years in prison earlier this year on drug charges, while his brother Tony Hernández received a life sentence in 2021 for similar offenses. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams condemned Valladares for betraying his duty to prevent crimes, while the DEA administrator Anne Milgram accused him of exploiting his position to traffic cocaine to the United States and protect drug traffickers.
