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Trump Announces Full Pardon for Ex‑Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández

08:41 AM, 11/29/2025

President Trump announced on Truth Social that he plans to grant a 'full and complete pardon' to former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernández, who received a 45-year sentence in June 2024 for drug-trafficking convictions. Hernández was arrested in February 2022 after serving eight years as Honduras's president. Trump tied the announcement to Honduras's upcoming presidential election and expressed support for National Party candidate Nasry 'Tito' Asfura.

President Donald Trump said on Truth Social Friday that he intends to grant a 'full and complete pardon' to former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernández, who was sentenced in June 2024 to 45 years in prison on drug-trafficking charges.

Trump wrote that Hernández has been 'treated very harshly and unfairly' and announced his intention to intervene in the former leader's legal fate.

U.S. prosecutors have said Hernández spent more than a decade collaborating with drug traffickers to move cocaine into the United States. Hernández, who served two terms as Honduras's president, was arrested in February 2022 and later convicted and sentenced to 45 years in prison.

The announcement comes days before Honduras's presidential election. In the same post, Trump voiced strong support for National Party candidate Nasry 'Tito' Asfura, saying the United States would be 'very supportive' if Asfura wins and warning that backing other leaders could lead to poor outcomes.

Implications and reaction

A U.S. presidential pardon for a foreign leader convicted of transnational drug-trafficking offenses would raise complex legal and diplomatic questions, potentially affecting bilateral relations and setting a notable precedent. Legal analysts say such a pardon could prompt public debate and scrutiny from U.S. and international observers.

Next steps: A formal pardon would need to be issued by the U.S. president; as of now, Honduran and U.S. officials have not released an official response to the announcement.

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