• Trump announced full pardon for former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández serving 45-year drug sentence
• Hernández was convicted in 2024 of conspiring to import 400 tons of cocaine into United States
• Announcement comes two days before Honduras presidential election where Trump endorsed conservative candidate Tito Asfura

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (TDR) — President Donald Trump announced Friday he will grant a “full and complete pardon” to former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, currently serving a 45-year federal prison sentence for drug trafficking and weapons charges. The Honduras presidential pardon announcement comes two days before Honduras holds its presidential election Sunday, where Trump has strongly endorsed conservative National Party candidate Nasry “Tito” Asfura.

The case has drawn attention from across the political spectrum, with supporters arguing Hernández faced unfair prosecution while critics point to substantial evidence of his involvement in a major cocaine trafficking conspiracy that prosecutors described as operating Honduras as a “narco-state.”

The Conviction and Case Against Hernández

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Hernández, who served as Honduras president from 2014 to 2022, was convicted in March 2024 after a three-week jury trial in New York federal court. U.S. prosecutors alleged he facilitated the importation of approximately 400 tons of cocaine into the United States during his time in public office, receiving millions in bribes from major drug trafficking organizations.

Then-U.S. Attorney Damian Williams characterized the scope as involving billions of individual doses sent to the United States with protection and support from Honduras’s presidential office. The prosecution presented evidence that Hernández’s co-conspirators used weapons including AK-47s, AR-15s, and grenade launchers to protect cocaine shipments transiting through Honduras.

Former Attorney General Merrick Garland stated that Hernández “abused his power to support one of the largest and most violent drug trafficking conspiracies in the world”, with both the people of Honduras and the United States bearing consequences. The case included testimony from numerous witnesses, including convicted drug traffickers who claimed direct dealings with Hernández.

Several of Hernández’s associates faced similar fates. His brother, Juan Antonio “Tony” Hernández Alvarado, received a life sentence in prison after conviction in October 2019. Other convicted co-conspirators included Geovanny Fuentes Ramirez, a violent cocaine trafficker who met with Hernández on multiple occasions, and Juan Carlos Bonilla Valladares, former chief of the Honduran National Police.

Arguments Supporting the Honduras Presidential Pardon

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Trump’s announcement cited counsel from people he “greatly respect[ed]” who believed Hernández was “treated very harshly and unfairly”. Attorney Renato Stabile expressed gratitude for the pardon decision, stating “we believe he was the victim of lawfare and a political prosecution” and calling it “a great injustice” that has been righted.

Shortly after the announcement, Hernández’s wife and children gathered on their home steps in Tegucigalpa and knelt in prayer, thanking God for his anticipated return to their family. The family maintained throughout the legal proceedings that Hernández’s prosecution represented a coordinated effort by drug traffickers and political opponents seeking revenge.

Hernández consistently denied all drug-related accusations and claimed at his sentencing that the conviction amounted to a “lynching.” His defense argued that witnesses testifying against him were drug dealers seeking reduced sentences or harboring personal vendettas.

The Honduras presidential pardon ties directly to Trump’s endorsement of Asfura, with the president suggesting the move will support Honduras’s path toward “Great Political and Financial Success.” Supporters of the decision argue it could strengthen diplomatic relations between the United States and a future Asfura administration.

Argentine President Javier Milei also voiced support for Asfura’s candidacy Friday, calling him “the candidate who best represents the opposition to the leftist tyrants who have destroyed Honduras.”

Criticism and Concerns About the Pardon Decision

The Honduras presidential pardon announcement sparked immediate backlash from Democratic lawmakers and policy analysts who noted an apparent contradiction with Trump’s stated drug war priorities. Representative Joaquin Castro stated that Hernández “is responsible for the deaths of countless American citizens”, questioning the decision’s consistency with Trump’s Caribbean drug interdiction operations.

California Representative Norma Torres noted she “spent years fighting corruption in Latin America” and characterized Hernández as running “a cartel-backed criminal empire that trafficked over 400 tons of cocaine into the U.S.” Senator Tim Kaine questioned how the pardon aligned with Trump’s professed efforts to combat narco-trafficking.

The timing raises additional concerns about U.S. intervention in foreign elections. The Honduras presidential pardon comes as Honduras prepares for Sunday’s vote, with Trump explicitly tying U.S. support to an Asfura victory. The president warned that if Asfura loses, “the United States will not be throwing good money after bad.”

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