A U.S. federal judge has sentenced former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández to 45 years in prison on drug trafficking charges. Prosecutors successfully argued Hernández ruled Honduras as a “narco-state” as he accepted millions of dollars in bribes from cocaine traffickers in exchange for protection. Before his presidential term ended in 2022, Hernández was a longtime U.S. ally who received unconditional backing during his eight-year rule, despite mounting reports of serious human rights violations and accusations of corruption and drug trafficking.