Arturo V. Hernandez

Arturo V. Hernandez, Esquire, is a Miami based criminal defense attorney with a nationwide and international portfolio. With 41 years experience, he is one of the most respected and highly regarded attorneys in his field. He is an A.V. rated lawyer by Martindale & Hubbel; the highest designation for attorneys by that prestigious institution and is perennially named among South Florida’s leading criminal defense attorneys.

As a pillar of the South Florida defense bar, Mr. Hernandez enjoys the respect of prosecutors and fellow defense attorneys alike. In 2012 he was honored by the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers with their annual Rodney Thaxton “Against All Odds Award” for his successful defense in the case of United States v. Luis Posada-Carriles- a notorious Cuban American charged with terrorism related crimes in El Paso, Texas federal court.

His career commenced in 1981 at Dade County Public Defender’s Office at the height of the Mariel exodus from Cuba, which saw a significant increase in the number of cases being handled by the Public Defender. In 1983 he formed his law firm Arturo V. Hernandez, P.A. Since that time Arturo V. Hernandez has emerged as a preeminent trial lawyer having tried in excess of 100 trials in his career.

In 2005, Mr. Hernandez began his representation of high profile Cuban Americans charged with federal crimes for their activism against Fidel Castro and his regime. In 2007 he was tapped to lead the defense team that successfully defended the most renowned anti-Castro militant in the world-80 year old Luis Posada-Carriles (United States v. Luis Posada Carriles, Case No.; EP-07-Cr-00087, Western District of Texas, El Paso Division). A legendary figure in the murky world of anti-communist militancy, Posada- a former highly regarded CIA operative- was charged with eleven federal crimes, including charges related to international terrorism- allegedly for a spate of bombs that were detonated in hotels in Havana Cuba in 1997. After 5 years of litigation, and a four month trial that made headlines throughout the world, on April 8, 2011 a federal jury acquitted Mr. Posada of all 11 eleven counts. Mr. Hernandez is currently working on a book about the trial of Luis Posada-Carriles.

Another of Mr. Hernandez’ core practice areas is narcotrafficking defense. Over the course of his career, Mr. Hernandez has defended several major narcotrafficking cases involving multiple hundred-kilo loads and their related conspiracies. Recently, Mr. Hernandez undertook the representation of Henry Lopez Londono, alias “Mi Sangre”, a former Colombian paramilitary commander and accused kingpin of the notorious narcotrafficking cartel “Los Urabenos”, in what is among the most high-profile cases currently pending in the United States.
Mr. Hernandez has appeared as a guest on numerous national and local television programs, and has been invited to speak on relevant legal topics throughout the country. In November 15, 2007 he was invited to testify before the Foreign Affairs Sub Committee on International Organizations, Human Rights and Oversight on the subject of international terrorism. In 2012 he was the key note speaker at the South Carolina Bar Convention on the subject of his then recent victory in Posada.

In 2014, Mr. Hernandez, commenced his defense of Henry Lopez-Londono, aka”Mi Sangre” an alleged member of the Urabenos paramilitary group, and accused narcotrafficker in the United States. Mr. Lopez-Londono was extradited in 2016 and was tried by jury in 2018. Mr. Hernandez interposed the unique and rarely used defense of Public Authority against the charges. Although the jury convicted Mr. Lopez-Londono in March of 2018, the case is on appeal and may in the future establish important guidance for other lawyers seeking to defend their clients using the public authority defense.

Mr. Hernandez, and his wife of 40 years, Ana M. Hernandez, are active in the promotion of the interests of underprivileged and special needs children in our community. Mrs. Hernandez has served on the boards of numerous charitable organizations that provide safety net support for abandoned and needy children. Mr. Hernandez and his firm yearly perform pro bono services to the poor, which would include legal representation of individuals seeking executive clemency, humanitarian release, appeals and criminal trials.