Controversial Pardon: Trump Grants Clemency to Former Honduran President Hernández, Convicted of Trafficking 400 Tons of Cocaine

Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, who was convicted of helping traffic 400 tons of cocaine into the United States, was released from prison after a pardon from US President Donald Trump, his wife announced on Tuesday. Hernández was freed from a prison in West Virginia on Monday and has "recovered his freedom," his wife stated on social media.

The US Bureau of Prisons website published information matching Hernández's name and age, confirming the release. Trump’s controversial pardon comes at a highly conspicuous time, especially as the US President has made his declared war on drug trafficking in Latin America a central focus of his second term. He has deployed significant forces in the Southern Caribbean to pressure the leadership of Venezuela, which he accuses of involvement in drug trade operations.

The pardon is particularly surprising given Trump's anti-drug stance and his regular orders to bomb small boats in the Caribbean Sea suspected of carrying drugs—strikes that international experts suggest may be illegal.

Trump is also heavily involved in the ongoing Honduran presidential election, where he strongly supports right-wing candidate Nasry Asfura, who leads by a narrow margin of just 515 votes after the initial count. Trump warned late Tuesday of retaliation against anyone seeking to "change the results." Meanwhile, the ruling party candidate, Rixi Moncada, who is trailing, accused Trump of interfering in the elections.

Hernández (a member of Asfura's party) led the Central American nation between 2014 and 2022. He was convicted in the US of facilitating the import of approximately 400 tons of cocaine, sentenced to 45 years in prison, and extradited just weeks after leaving office.