Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, who was sentenced to 45 years in prison last year for his involvement in a drug-trafficking scheme that transported large amounts of cocaine to the United States, has been released from prison after receiving a pardon from President Donald Trump, officials confirmed on Tuesday.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons inmate website, Hernández was released from U.S. Penitentiary, Hazelton in West Virginia on Monday. A spokesperson for the bureau confirmed his release on Tuesday. Hernández’s wife, Ana García, expressed gratitude to Trump for the pardon in a post on the social platform X early Tuesday.
Hernández’s lawyer, Renato Stabile, mentioned in a statement that he could not disclose the former president’s current whereabouts. Stabile conveyed Hernández’s relief that the “ordeal” has come to an end and extended appreciation to President Trump for addressing the perceived injustice.
Hernández, arrested in February 2022 at the request of the United States shortly after Xiomara Castro assumed the presidency of Honduras, received a 45-year prison sentence in a New York federal court two years later. During his trial in February 2024, a U.S. prosecutor revealed that Hernández had collaborated with drug traffickers, even boasting about facilitating the transportation of drugs to the United States.
Despite maintaining his innocence and claiming to be a target of retribution by the same traffickers he had assisted in extradition, Hernández was unanimously convicted by a jury in less than two days. The sentencing judge emphasized that Hernández’s punishment should serve as a cautionary message to influential individuals who believe their status shields them from legal consequences.
The decision to pardon Hernández by Trump elicited criticism from Democratic lawmakers, with Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine labeling it as “shocking.” While some Republicans supported Trump’s action, others, including Sen. Bill Cassidy, questioned the rationale behind pardoning Hernández while advocating for stringent measures against drug trafficking.
Following the pardon, uncertainties loom regarding Hernández’s return to Honduras, as the country’s Attorney General emphasized the commitment to pursuing justice and ending impunity. Investigations into corruption allegations during Hernández’s tenure as president did not result in charges against him. The pardon issued by Trump ahead of Honduras’s presidential election introduced a new dynamic to the political landscape, with Trump endorsing a candidate from the National Party.
As the vote count progressed on Tuesday, the aftermath of Hernández’s release and potential legal implications in Honduras remained subjects of scrutiny.
