Donald Trump Pardons Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández Following Drug Trafficking Conviction
Juan Orlando Hernández, the former president of Honduras, has been pardoned by former U.S. President Donald Trump. Hernández had been sentenced to 45 years in prison by a U.S. court after being convicted of drug trafficking. Trump stated that Hernández was a victim of "political persecution" and had been "treated very harshly and unfairly." The pardon has generated commentary among some observers, noting the conviction's severity and previous U.S. statements regarding drug interdiction.
Hernández's Political Career and Allegations
Hernández served as president of Honduras, a nation of 10 million, for two terms. He first sought the presidency in 2013 as a candidate for the conservative National Party. His re-election in 2017 was followed by allegations of electoral fraud and civil protests. Throughout his presidency, Hernández maintained a diplomatic relationship with the United States. Former President Barack Obama identified him as an "excellent partner" during the migrant-children crisis, and President Trump affirmed the results of the 2017 election.
In 2019, U.S. federal prosecutors introduced allegations against Hernández. They accused him of accepting a $1 million bribe from JoaquÃn "El Chapo" Guzmán, a drug lord, to support his 2013 presidential campaign. This alleged payment was in exchange for protection of narcotics routes through Honduras. These accusations emerged during a separate legal case involving Hernández's brother, Juan Antonio "Tony" Hernández, who was arrested in Miami in 2018 on charges of cocaine smuggling into the U.S. Juan Orlando Hernández denied involvement in his brother's alleged activities at the time. Tony Hernández was convicted in 2019 and received a life sentence.
Following his departure from office in 2022, Juan Orlando Hernández was arrested and extradited to the U.S. to face charges related to drug trafficking and weapons.
The Drug Trafficking Trial and Conviction
Hernández's federal trial took place over three weeks in 2024. Prosecutors argued that Hernández played a central role in an 18-year drug trafficking operation. This operation allegedly facilitated the movement of over 400 metric tonnes of cocaine into the United States, an amount estimated to be equivalent to 4.5 billion individual doses. Then-Attorney General Merrick Garland stated that "The people of Honduras and the United States bore the consequences."
Prosecutors detailed that Hernández allegedly used his presidential office to shield drug traffickers, who were reportedly armed with machine guns and grenade launchers. In return, he allegedly received millions of dollars, which were used to support his political campaigns. The prosecution also claimed that various state entities, including the Honduran National Police, assisted in protecting cocaine shipments transiting through Honduras en route to the U.S. for distribution. Additionally, prosecutors stated that drug traffickers associated with Hernández committed violent acts and murders to suppress rival gangs and expand their operations.
During his sentencing, Hernández asserted that he was a victim of "political persecution." In a post-conviction letter, he wrote, "The prosecutors and agents did not do the due diligence in the investigation to know the whole TRUTH."
Donald Trump's Rationale for the Pardon
Donald Trump announced the pardon on Friday via a post on Truth Social. In his statement, Trump claimed that, according to individuals he respects, Hernández had been "unfairly treated by prosecutors" and that his conviction was a "Biden setup." Concurrently with the pardon announcement, Trump endorsed Tito Asfura for president of Honduras, ahead of an election which occurred on Sunday. Asfura was a candidate from the National Party, the same party as Hernández. Preliminary election results indicated a close race, necessitating a hand recount of ballots.
The National Party's ideological alignment with the U.S. administration at the time of Trump's endorsement has been noted by observers. Trump has previously commented on the political landscapes of other Western Hemisphere nations, including Brazil and Argentina. Jason Marczak, Vice-President and Senior Director at the Atlantic Council's Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center, remarked on "the President's affinity with leaders on the right that he sees as being favourable to some of interests of his administration."
Michael Shifter, an adjunct professor at the Center for Latin American Studies at Georgetown University, expressed surprise regarding the pardon, citing the strength of the case against Hernández. Shifter also observed a perceived "contradiction" between the pardon and Trump's stated policy of reducing drug trafficking. Trump had previously pledged to restrict the flow of illicit drugs into the U.S., including conducting strikes on vessels in the Caribbean Sea that his administration identified as being involved in drug trafficking, actions which resulted in fatalities since September.