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Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández has officially been freed from a US prison after receiving a full pardon from President Donald Trump.
Getting into it: Hernández was serving a 45-year sentence after being convicted in a US federal court of conspiring with drug traffickers to move over 400 tons of cocaine through Honduras and into the United States. Prosecutors accused him of accepting millions of dollars in bribes from major drug cartels, using those funds to fuel his political rise and secure his hold on power. Despite his claims of being a staunch anti-drug advocate and US ally, the court found that Hernández used the Honduran military and police to shield traffickers and facilitate the drug trade, with the judge describing him as a manipulative figure who masked corruption with cooperation.
President Trump announced the pardon just days before the Honduran presidential election, calling the charges against Hernández a politically motivated “Biden administration setup.” Speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump said he was influenced by appeals from “many of the people of Honduras” who believed Hernández was wrongly targeted because he was a sitting president from an opposing political faction. Trump argued that Hernández had been treated “very harshly and unfairly,” and that the case lacked legitimate grounds, despite extensive trial evidence and a conviction rendered during his own prior administration.
Following the pardon, Hernández was released from USP Hazelton in West Virginia. While Hernández himself did not immediately issue a personal statement, his wife, Ana García, celebrated his release on social media, thanking Trump for restoring their hope and claiming justice had been served.
The pardon has drawn some bipartisan criticism in the United States, with both Republican and Democratic lawmakers questioning the decision to grant clemency to Hernández.
