Juan Orlando Hernández, the former president of Honduras, has walked free after President Donald Trump pardoned the man once characterized as the key figure in a drug trafficking scheme that flooded America with over 400 tonnes of cocaine.
Trump has asserted that Hernández, who was sentenced to 45 years in prison by a US court, is a victim of political persecution and has been treated very harshly and unfairly. The pardon has surprised some experts, given the seriousness of the crime and the administration's promised crackdown on illegal drugs flowing into the US.
Hernández first ran for president of Honduras in 2013, representing the conservative National Party, and won a contentious re-election in 2017 amidst allegations of fraud and violent protests. His presidency was marked by maintaining strong relations with the US, having been deemed a partner in handling migrant crises.
However, his downfall began in 2019 when US prosecutors accused him of receiving a $1 million bribe from Joaquín El Chapo Guzmán for his campaign in exchange for protection of drug trafficking routes. Hernández was arrested and extradited to the US shortly after leaving office in 2022, facing charges of drug trafficking and weapons offenses.
His federal trial lasted three weeks in 2024, where prosecutors described Hernández as a central figure in a long-term drug trafficking operation, receiving millions to support his political ambitions while shielding armed traffickers.
Trump's recent pardon announcement has left experts questioning the decision's implications for US drug policies and relations with Honduras. During the announcement, Trump also endorsed Tito Asfura, a National Party candidate for the upcoming presidential election in Honduras, suggesting strategic political motivations behind the pardon.
Trump has asserted that Hernández, who was sentenced to 45 years in prison by a US court, is a victim of political persecution and has been treated very harshly and unfairly. The pardon has surprised some experts, given the seriousness of the crime and the administration's promised crackdown on illegal drugs flowing into the US.
Hernández first ran for president of Honduras in 2013, representing the conservative National Party, and won a contentious re-election in 2017 amidst allegations of fraud and violent protests. His presidency was marked by maintaining strong relations with the US, having been deemed a partner in handling migrant crises.
However, his downfall began in 2019 when US prosecutors accused him of receiving a $1 million bribe from Joaquín El Chapo Guzmán for his campaign in exchange for protection of drug trafficking routes. Hernández was arrested and extradited to the US shortly after leaving office in 2022, facing charges of drug trafficking and weapons offenses.
His federal trial lasted three weeks in 2024, where prosecutors described Hernández as a central figure in a long-term drug trafficking operation, receiving millions to support his political ambitions while shielding armed traffickers.
Trump's recent pardon announcement has left experts questioning the decision's implications for US drug policies and relations with Honduras. During the announcement, Trump also endorsed Tito Asfura, a National Party candidate for the upcoming presidential election in Honduras, suggesting strategic political motivations behind the pardon.
