TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) — Juan Orlando Hernández, the former President of Honduras, expressed his gratitude to U.S. President Donald Trump for granting him a pardon after being released from a U.S. prison. This was Hernández's first communication following his release, which came one year into his 45-year prison sentence for orchestrating large-scale drug trafficking operations in collaboration with narcotics traffickers.
Hernández had been convicted of facilitating the transportation of hundreds of tons of cocaine to the United States, an operation that reportedly involved significant bribes that bolstered his political ascent. Trump's unexpected announcement of his intentions to pardon Hernández occurred just two days before Honduras' national elections, eliciting surprise among the Honduran populace. Trump justified his decision by stating that Hernández was a victim of a politically driven prosecution, labeling it as an "unjust" maneuver.
Upon his release, Hernández took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to declare his innocence. He stated, “I said it as I left my home, I said it as I was wrongfully convicted, and I will say it again now that I have my liberty. I am innocent.” He further expressed his profound appreciation for Trump, saying, “You changed my life, sir, and I will never forget it.”
During a flight aboard Air Force One, Trump remarked that many Hondurans had requested his intervention for Hernández's pardon. He noted that U.S. prosecutors had labeled Hernández a drug dealer solely based on his position as president and suggested that the case was manipulated by the Biden administration. Trump stated, “And I looked at the facts and I agreed with them.”
Hernández was released from U.S. Penitentiary Hazelton in West Virginia on a Monday, with his wife, Ana García, confirming his release the following day. She mentioned that Hernández was currently at an undisclosed location for his safety.
Before seeking a pardon, Hernández had initiated a petition for clemency months prior, culminating in a personal letter to Trump on October 28, which was also his birthday. In the lead-up to the national election, Trump extended his endorsement to a candidate from Hernández's conservative National Party, further complicating the political landscape.
As the electoral votes were being counted on Wednesday, National Party candidate Nasry Asfura was trailing behind Salvador Nasralla from the Liberal Party by a narrow margin of less than 1%. Interestingly, Hernández maintains that he was a pivotal figure in the anti-drug trafficking efforts, collaborating with U.S. authorities across three presidential administrations to combat drug imports.
In February 2022, Hernández was arrested based on a U.S. request, occurring shortly after Xiomara Castro assumed the presidency of Honduras. Two years later, he faced sentencing in a New York federal court, where he received a 45-year prison term for accepting bribes from drug traffickers who utilized Honduras as a corridor for transporting approximately 400 tons (360 metric tons) of cocaine to the United States.
