Ex-Honduran president extradited to US

Honduras has extradited former President Juan Orlando Hernández to the United States to face drug trafficking and weapons charges. It was a dramatic reversal for a leader once touted by U.S. authorities as a key ally in the conflict on the drugs.

An airplane departed Honduras on Thursday with Hernández and agents from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration bound for the United States, where he faces charges in the Southern District of New York.

Hernández was arrested at his home in Tegucigalpa in February at the request of U.S. authorities. U.S. prosecutors have accused Hernández of fueling his political rise with money from drug traffickers. Hernández strongly denies any wrongdoing.