Honduran Ex-President Pardoned by Trump, Leaves Prison

Former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernandez was released from a US prison after Donald Trump granted him a presidential pardon. Hernandez had been serving a 45-year sentence for drug trafficking and firearms offenses. His wife thanked Trump, while critics condemned the move, arguing it contradicts Trump’s tough stance on drug trafficking. The White House defended the pardon, claiming Hernandez was unfairly targeted under Joe Biden. The release comes as Honduras is counting votes in a tight presidential election, with Trump backing candidate Nasry Asfura, a member of Hernandez’s party.

Former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernandez has been released from a US prison following a presidential pardon granted by Donald Trump. His wife, Ana Garcia, confirmed the development on Tuesday, marking the end of nearly four years of incarceration for Hernandez, who had been serving a 45-year sentence for drug trafficking and firearms offenses in a high-security federal prison in Hazelton, West Virginia.

Garcia expressed profound gratitude to Trump, emphasizing that the pardon restored her husband’s freedom after what she described as years of pain, uncertainty, and difficult legal battles. Hernandez, once a powerful political figure in Honduras, was convicted of accepting bribes from major drug traffickers and facilitating the movement of approximately 400 tons of cocaine through Honduras into the United States. This conviction sharply contradicted the image Hernandez had cultivated internationally, where he often portrayed himself as a committed partner of US authorities in the fight against narcotics trafficking.

The pardon has ignited widespread criticism and controversy, especially given the Trump administration’s stated commitment to intensifying efforts against drug trafficking across Latin America. Critics argue that the decision undermines the administration’s broader anti-narcotics stance, particularly at a time when Washington has been issuing stern warnings to Venezuela and accusing President Nicolás Maduro of running a narcotrafficking network. Democratic Senator Ed Markey condemned the move, pointing out that Trump had authorized aggressive anti-drug operations in the Caribbean, yet granted clemency to a former head of state convicted of facilitating cocaine shipments into the United States.

In response to the backlash, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the pardon by insisting that Hernandez had been targeted unfairly under the administration of former US president Joe Biden. She claimed that Hernandez was prosecuted not because of the evidence against him, but because his political values clashed with those of the previous administration. Her comments align with the narrative put forward by Trump, who told reporters aboard Air Force One that many Hondurans believed Hernandez had been framed. Trump described the conviction as a “terrible thing,” asserting that he reviewed the facts and agreed with those who thought the charges were politically motivated, though he did not provide additional details.

Hernandez was arrested in February 2022, shortly after leaving office, following a request from US federal authorities. His extradition to the United States and subsequent conviction marked a dramatic fall for a leader who once wielded significant influence in Central America. The timing of the pardon is particularly sensitive, coming as Honduras is in the midst of counting votes in its presidential election. The Trump administration has openly supported candidate Nasry Asfura, a fellow member of Hernandez’s National Party, in a tightly contested race against Salvador Nasralla. The vote count remains extremely close, with Asfura leading by only a few hundred votes.

The overlap between Hernandez’s release, Trump’s political alliances in Honduras, and the ongoing election has prompted further scrutiny, deepening the debate over the motivations and implications of the pardon.