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Trump vows to pardon convicted Honduran ex-president Hernández
Former U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Friday he would pardon Juan Orlando Hernández, the former president of Honduras, who was convicted in 2024 on drug trafficking and weapons charges in a U.S. court. Trump described Hernández's treatment as "very harsh and unfair" in a social media post, signaling his intent to intervene in the case.
Hernández's conviction and extradition
A New York jury found Hernández guilty in March 2024 of conspiring to import cocaine into the U.S. and possessing machine guns. He was sentenced to 45 years in prison. Hernández, who led Honduras from 2014 to 2022 as a member of the conservative National Party, was extradited to the U.S. in April 2022 to face trial for allegedly overseeing a violent drug trafficking network that smuggled hundreds of tons of cocaine into the country.
Trump backs Honduran conservative candidate ahead of election
Trump also endorsed Nasry "Tito" Asfura, the conservative National Party candidate in Honduras' upcoming general election on Sunday. Asfura, the former mayor of Tegucigalpa, faces stiff competition from Rixi Moncada of the ruling left-wing Libre Party and Salvador Nasralla, a centrist television host representing the Liberal Party. Polls suggest the race remains tightly contested among the three candidates.
In his post, Trump criticized Moncada and Nasralla, labeling the latter a "borderline Communist" and accusing him of running to split the vote between Moncada and Asfura. He praised Asfura for "standing up for democracy" and opposing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, whom Trump has repeatedly clashed with. Nasralla, meanwhile, has pledged to sever ties with Venezuela if elected.
Broader U.S. policy and regional tensions
The Trump administration has long accused Maduro-whose 2023 re-election was widely dismissed as illegitimate-of leading a drug cartel. It justified a military buildup in the Caribbean under the pretext of countering drug trafficking, including strikes on vessels allegedly used for smuggling. Critics argue these actions are part of a broader strategy to pressure Latin American leaders.
Honduras, currently led by President Xiomara Castro, has maintained a cooperative relationship with the U.S. despite Castro's alignment with Cuba and Venezuela. The country continues to uphold a long-standing extradition treaty with the U.S. and hosts a U.S. military base focused on combating transnational crime.
Controversy over U.S. military strikes
Since August, over 80 people have died in U.S. strikes targeting vessels suspected of drug trafficking under "Operation Southern Spear," according to U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. Legal experts, however, question the legality of these operations, noting the lack of public evidence linking the targeted boats to narcotics.
