Honduras has extradited former President Juan Orlando Hernández to the United States yesterday to face drug trafficking and weapons charges in a dramatic reversal for a leader once touted by US authorities as a key ally in the war on drugs. Just three months after leaving office, a handcuffed Hernández boarded an airplane with agents from the US Drug Enforcement Administration bound for the United States, where he faces charges in the Southern District of New York. US Attorney General Merrick Garland said Hernandez abused his position as President of Honduras from 2014 through 2022 to operate the country as a narco-state.<br />''<br />''Hernández was arrested at his home in Tegucigalpa in February at the request of U.S. authorities. <br />''<br />''<br />