Former Honduran National Police Chief Juan Carlos Bonilla Valladares, Known as “El Tigre,” Sentenced to 19 Years in U.S. Prison for Role in Major Cocaine Distribution
Fiona Nanna, ForeMedia News
5 minutes read. Updated 4:56PM GMT Fri, 2August, 2024
Juan Carlos Bonilla Valladares, 64, a former chief of the Honduran National Police, was sentenced to 19 years in federal prison by Judge P. Kevin Castel at Manhattan Federal Court on Thursday. Bonilla Valladares, infamously known as “El Tigre” or “The Tiger,” had pleaded guilty to participating in a major drug conspiracy that involved protecting large shipments of cocaine destined for the United States.
Bonilla Valladares’s extensive career with the Honduran National Police, where he held leadership positions including a stint as chief in 2012, was marred by his involvement in drug trafficking activities. Prosecutors outlined that during his tenure, he significantly contributed to the cocaine trade by using violence and intimidation, including murder, to safeguard drug shipments. Despite these accusations, defense attorney Donald Vogelman argued for a lighter sentence of 10 years, suggesting that Bonilla Valladares was not continuously engaged in criminal activities and had performed some commendable work for his country.
The defense also highlighted Bonilla Valladares’s deteriorating health and the peril he faces from other inmates if he were to return to Honduras. Vogelman assured that his client would not return to criminal activities post-incarceration, framing Bonilla Valladares as a man who led a dual life.
In Honduras, the reaction to the sentence reflects widespread disillusionment with the country’s law enforcement institutions. Henry Osorio Canales, a retired Honduran National Police commissioner, described the case as indicative of a broader issue where government officials were complicit in drug trafficking.
The sentencing follows Bonilla Valladares’s arrest on March 9, 2022. U.S. prosecutors had implicated him as a co-conspirator with former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández and Hernández’s brother, Tony Hernández. The former president, who was sentenced to 45 years in prison in June 2024 for drug-related charges, and his brother, who received a life sentence in 2021, were described by prosecutors as key political allies in the cocaine trafficking network.
Prosecutors detailed that Bonilla Valladares had accepted substantial bribes to offer armed protection for drug shipments traversing Honduras, directing corrupt officers to bypass police checkpoints and sharing critical information on law enforcement operations with his co-conspirators.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams condemned Bonilla Valladares for betraying his oath and engaging in criminal activities he was sworn to combat. Anne Milgram, the administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration, criticized Bonilla Valladares for exploiting his position to facilitate and safeguard drug trafficking operations.
