UPDATE: Former U.S. President Donald Trump has just announced a controversial plan to issue a “full and complete” pardon for Juan Orlando Hernández, the former president of Honduras currently serving a 45-year prison sentence for drug trafficking. This urgent development comes as Hernández faces serious allegations of facilitating the shipment of hundreds of tons of cocaine into the United States.
In a post on Truth Social Friday, Trump stated, “I will be granting a Full and Complete Pardon to Former President Juan Orlando Hernández who has been, according to many people that I greatly respect, treated very harshly and unfairly.” The announcement raises significant concerns given Trump’s concurrent military buildup in the Caribbean aimed at ousting another leader accused of drug trade complicity, Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela.
Hernández was found guilty by a Manhattan jury in March after a two-week trial, where prosecutors detailed how he allegedly accepted millions in bribes from drug traffickers, allowing them to move over 400 tons of cocaine into the U.S. Testimonies from confessed traffickers revealed that Hernández provided protection for notorious drug lords, including Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, who is currently serving a life sentence in an American prison.
Despite his conviction, Hernández maintained his innocence during his sentencing in June, stating he was “wrongly and unjustly accused.” However, U.S. District Judge P. Kevin Castel described him as a “two-faced politician hungry for power” and imposed an $8 million fine along with his lengthy prison term.
The timing of Trump’s pardon announcement is particularly striking, as it could undermine the U.S. government’s rationale for its ongoing efforts to remove Maduro from power. Maduro has been accused of using foreign terrorist organizations to facilitate drug trafficking into the United States, prompting Attorney General Pam Bondi to offer a $50 million reward for his arrest on August 7.
Former Drug Enforcement Agency chief Mike Vigil expressed alarm over Trump’s actions, stating to The New York Times that this pardon could severely damage the U.S.’s credibility in international drug trafficking investigations. “This action would be nothing short of catastrophic,” Vigil warned, highlighting the potential fallout from such a decision.
As the political climate intensifies, Hernández’s endorsement of Tito Asfura—a candidate from the right-wing National Party—in Honduras’ upcoming election further complicates the situation. Asfura is in a tight three-way race against candidates from both the ruling left-wing Libre party and a centrist option. The electoral atmosphere is fraught with tension, marked by accusations of fraud and foreign interference.
This developing situation is being closely monitored, as the implications of Trump’s pardon could reverberate through U.S.-Latin American relations and impact ongoing drug policy discussions. The international community is now watching closely to see how this situation unfolds and what it means for both countries involved.
Stay tuned for more updates as this story develops.
