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The United States formally requested the arrest and extradition of former President Juan Orlando Hern谩ndez less than three weeks after he left office, after years of speculation about his alleged links to drug traffickers.

Honduran security forces surrounded Mr. Hern谩ndez鈥檚 neighborhood Monday night and the Supreme Court of Justice scheduled an urgent meeting Tuesday to select a judge to handle the extradition request. A standoff ensued.

The specific charges Mr. Hern谩ndez faces were not released, but federal prosecutors in New York had previously named him a co-conspirator in a drug trafficking case, alleging that his political rise was fueled with drug profits. Mr. Hern谩ndez has long denied any wrongdoing.

Nicole Navas, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of Justice, declined to comment.

In a video released by Mr. Hern谩ndez鈥檚 legal team, apparently from inside his home, attorney F茅lix 脕vila said that everything would have to wait until a judge was selected. 鈥淢eanwhile, it is understood that no arrest order exists.鈥�

However, at a police barrier to the neighborhood, Rasel Tom茅, vice president of the newly elected National Congress, said that Mr. Hern谩ndez had to turn himself in or he would be arrested.

Mr. Hern谩ndez released an audio recording via Twitter early Tuesday thanking those praying for him.

鈥淚t is not an easy moment,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 desire it for anyone.鈥�

He said the National Police had already been informed by his lawyers that 鈥淚 am ready and prepared to cooperate and go voluntarily ... to able to face this situation and defend myself.鈥�

Attention turned Tuesday to the Supreme Court鈥檚 15 justices. The court鈥檚 President Rolando Argueta is known to be close to Hern谩ndez. All of the justices were selected to the court by the Congress in 2016 during Mr. Hern谩ndez鈥檚 first presidential term. They serve seven-year terms.

The majority come from his National Party.

It was a long-awaited fall for a leader reviled in his home country who enjoyed support from the Trump administration but had been kept at arm鈥檚 length by a Biden White House, which has targeted Central America鈥檚 endemic corruption as a root cause of migration.

Mr. Hern谩ndez left office on Jan. 27 with the swearing in of President Xiomara Castro. The same day, he was sworn in as Honduras鈥� representative to the Central American Parliament.

One of his lawyers, Hermes Ram铆rez, told local media his client had immunity as a member of the regional parliament and said government forces were not following proper procedures. He said Mr. Hern谩ndez was inside the home.

Various contingents of the National Police, including special forces as well as military police, were present around Mr. Hern谩ndez鈥檚 neighborhood Monday night. Barriers at all of the entrances kept out media and even residents.

Members of the security forces entered the area with weapons, wearing balaclavas, and with handcuffs dangling from their ballistic vests.

Mr. Hern谩ndez often pointed to the fact that Honduras began allowing the extradition of its citizens on drug trafficking charges while he was president of the Congress as part of his defense.

But U.S. prosecutors have alleged that he was taking bribes from drug traffickers on the promise of protecting them once he was president.

U.S. prosecutors in New York repeatedly implicated him during his brother鈥檚 2019 drug trafficking trial, alleging that his political rise was fueled by drug profits.

That brother, Juan Antonio 鈥淭ony鈥� Hern谩ndez, himself a former Honduran congressman, was sentenced to life in prison on drug and weapons charges in March 2021. At his sentencing Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Laroche characterized the crimes as 鈥渟tate-sponsored drug trafficking.鈥�

Juan Orlando Hern谩ndez took office Jan. 27, 2014. Mr. Hern谩ndez used a friendly Supreme Court to overcome Honduras鈥� constitutional ban on reelection and won a second term in 2017 in elections marred by irregularities.

Around midnight Monday, Jorge Arturo Vega, a supporter of Ms. Castro鈥檚 Liberty and Refoundation party, stood outside a police barricade at Mr. Hern谩ndez鈥檚 neighborhood celebrating.

鈥淭his is a party we鈥檝e been waiting a long time for,鈥� Mr. Vega said, thinking back over the dozen years since Mr. Hern谩ndez came up in the Congress. 鈥淲e couldn鈥檛 stand this drug trafficker, criminal, killer in the presidential house any longer.鈥�

This story was reported by The Associated Press. Christopher Sherman reported from Mexico City. Elmer Mart铆nez in Tegucigalpa, and Claudia Torrens in New York, contributed to this story.