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Ex‑Honduran President Thanks Trump After Controversial U.S. Pardon

Former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernández thanked Donald Trump after receiving a pardon for a U.S. drug‑trafficking conviction that had carried a 45‑year sentence and an $8 million fine. The pardon provoked bipartisan criticism for appearing to contradict U.S. anti‑drug efforts and for perceived inconsistency with actions against other foreign leaders. Hernández has been released from U.S. custody and said he will share more information soon.

12:20 PM, 12/04/2025Politics
Ex‑Honduran President Thanks Trump After Controversial U.S. Pardon

Juan Orlando Hernández, who served as Honduras’ president from 2014 to 2022, publicly thanked former U.S. President Donald Trump after receiving a pardon for a U.S. drug‑trafficking conviction. The move has drawn sharp bipartisan criticism for appearing to conflict with U.S. efforts to curb drug flows from Latin America.

Hernández was convicted last year in a U.S. court on charges tied to drug trafficking and was sentenced to 45 years in prison and fined $8 million. He has consistently denied wrongdoing, calling the trial “rigged” and saying it relied on testimony from criminals he described as seeking revenge.

Allegations and prosecution

U.S. prosecutors alleged that while president, Hernández conspired with drug cartels that moved hundreds of tons of cocaine toward the United States and that he received millions of dollars in bribes that bolstered his political ascent. Supporters and some allies, however, argued the prosecution was politically motivated.

Political backlash

Lawmakers from both parties criticized the pardon as sending a mixed message at a time of intensified U.S. operations targeting drug trafficking in the region. Critics pointed to an apparent inconsistency between pardoning Hernández and pursuing other foreign leaders accused of facilitating drug shipments.

GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy wrote on social media: "Why would we pardon this guy and then go after Maduro for running drugs into the United States? Lock up every drug runner! Don’t understand why he is being pardoned." Republican Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar said the decision sent a mixed signal and that she would not have supported it.

Trump’s defense and lobbying

Trump defended the clemency, calling the prosecution a "horrible witch hunt" and saying many people in Honduras had asked him to act. Several of Trump’s allies, including Roger Stone, publicly lobbied for Hernández’s pardon.

Release and next steps

Hernández has been released from U.S. custody, according to his attorney and U.S. Bureau of Prisons records showing a release from a West Virginia facility. In a social media post, Hernández thanked Trump and told Hondurans he would "continue defending everything we built together," but he did not specify whether or when he plans to return to Honduras. He said he would provide more details "soon."

This account focuses on the legal and political developments surrounding the pardon and the reactions it prompted. Names and quotes are included to reflect principal reactions and key facts about the prosecution and subsequent clemency.

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