Officials announced Monday that the US has urged Honduras to detain former President Juan Orlando Hernández in preparation for his potential extradition to the US.

Monday night, National Police and soldiers surrounded the neighborhood around Hernández's home.

Honduras' foreign ministry first stated on Twitter that it had alerted the country's Supreme Court of Justice that the US Embassy had formally demanded the arrest of a Honduran lawmaker for extradition reasons.

The lawmaker was not identified by the government. However, Honduras' current vice president, Salvador Nasralla, verified to The Associated Press that Hernández is named in the request.

Later, the president of the Supreme Court of Justice convened an emergency session of the full court on Tuesday morning to select a judge to hear the US extradition request.

The US Department of Justice's spokesperson, Nicole Navas, declined to comment. Requests for comment were forwarded to the Justice Department via the US State Department.

CNN en Espaol was the first to reveal that the politician was Hernández, citing a statement from the Ministry of Justice to the court that named Hernández.

Hermes Ramrez, Hernández's counsel, accused authorities of being unjust to the former president. He said Hernández was inside the Tegucigalpa home.

“At this time the secretary of security is violating the rule of law by wanting to execute an arrest order violating the procedure that is established by law,” the lawyer told local media. “We leave clear the abuse that my client ex-President Juan Orlando Hernández is the subject of.”

Various National Police contingents, including special forces and military police, were stationed in Hernández's neighborhood Monday night. Barriers were erected at all entrances to keep the journalists and even locals away.

Security personnel approached the scene armed, with balaclavas and handcuffs swinging from their bulletproof vests. According to other neighbors, the residence had been dark and uninhabited.

Supporters of new President Xiomara Castro arrived as well, waving flags from her party and celebrating.

Hernández had shared photos of himself playing with his dogs over the weekend in an apparent attempt to dispel suspicions that he had departed the country.

According to US authorities, Tony Hernández arranged hefty bribes for his brother from drug traffickers in exchange for protecting their shipments through Honduras. Prosecutors said that members of the National Police and the military escorted narcotics shipments in some circumstances.

They said Juan Orlando Hernández accepted bribes while still a member of Honduras' congress and directed bribery to other members in order for them to support him as president of the body.

Hernández has always claimed that the accusations leveled against him are the result of drug traffickers who, in certain cases, he extradited and who are now seeking retribution. He has denied any involvement with drug traffickers.