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Former Honduran president released after US pardon
Juan Orlando Hernández, the former president of Honduras, was released from a high-security US prison on Monday following a pardon from President Donald Trump, federal inmate records confirm. Hernández had been serving a 45-year sentence for drug trafficking and weapons charges.
Conviction and sentencing
Hernández was found guilty in March 2024 of conspiring to import cocaine into the US and illegal possession of machine guns. Prosecutors in New York alleged during his trial that he operated Honduras as a "narco-state," accepting millions in bribes from drug traffickers in exchange for protection. In addition to his prison term, he was fined $8 million.
The former leader, who governed Honduras from 2014 to 2022 under the National Party, was extradited to the US in April 2022 to face charges related to a violent drug trafficking conspiracy involving hundreds of tonnes of cocaine smuggled into the country.
Trump's justification for pardon
President Trump announced the pardon on Friday, describing Hernández's treatment as "very harsh and unfair." Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday, Trump claimed the investigation was a "Biden administration set up," alleging Hernández was unfairly labeled a drug dealer simply for being Honduras' president.
"They basically said he was a drug dealer because he was the president of the country," Trump stated.
Hernández's release and political context
The pardon comes amid Honduras' tightly contested presidential election, where right-wing candidate Nasry Asfura holds a razor-thin lead of 515 votes over centrist rival Salvador Nasralla, a former TV host. Trump has publicly criticized Nasralla as "a borderline Communist" while endorsing Asfura for "standing up for democracy" and opposing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Nasralla has vowed to sever ties with Venezuela if elected. The Trump administration has repeatedly accused Maduro-whose 2024 re-election was widely disputed-of leading a drug cartel, citing counter-narcotics efforts as justification for increased US military presence in the Caribbean. Critics argue these moves are aimed at pressuring regional leaders.
Honduras' shifting alliances
Since Hernández's departure in 2022, Honduras has been led by President Xiomara Castro, who has strengthened relations with Cuba and Venezuela. Hernández's wife, Ana García de Hernández, expressed gratitude for the pardon on social media Tuesday, confirming her husband's release.
