Former Honduran President Hernández Released After Trump Pardon

Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández has been released from U.S. federal prison after receiving a presidential pardon from Donald Trump. Hernández had been serving a 45-year sentence for accepting bribes from drug traffickers to enable the movement of approximately 400 tons of cocaine through Honduras to the U.S. His release was confirmed by the U.S. Bureau of Prisons, and his wife publicly thanked Trump on X. Trump explained the pardon as a response to appeals from Honduran citizens who believed Hernández had been wrongfully targeted by the Biden administration.

Hernández had long claimed his innocence, arguing he was the victim of retaliation by drug criminals he helped extradite. Despite cooperating with U.S. authorities during his presidency, a federal judge concluded he secretly supported the drug trade. While Hernández is now free in the U.S., Honduran authorities hinted that he might still face legal action for corruption back home. The pardon came just before Honduras’ presidential election, potentially influencing voter sentiment and favoring Hernández’s National Party candidate, Nasry Asfura.