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President Donald Trump has announced a pardon for former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, a convicted narco-trafficker serving a 45-year sentence in the United States.
On November 28, former President Donald Trump announced his intention to pardon Juan Orlando Hernández, the former Honduran president who was found guilty in a New York court in 2024 of collaborating with the Sinaloa cartel to transport approximately 400 tons of cocaine into the United States. Trump argued that Hernández had been “treated very harshly and unfairly.” During his presidency in Honduras, Hernández directed over $500,000 in contracts to the Republican lobbying firm BGR Group following the life sentence of his brother, Tony Hernández, for cocaine trafficking. Subsequently, BGR Group contributed substantial donations to Marco Rubio, who is currently serving as Trump’s Secretary of State.
U.S. prosecutors have previously depicted Hernández as a pivotal figure in transforming Honduras into a drug-trafficking hub. They accused him of wielding significant influence and collaborating with some of the most notorious drug traffickers in the country, thereby allowing them to prosper under his leadership. A 2023 investigation by Grayzone revealed that U.S. officials had long been aware of Hernández’s alleged connections to the drug trade but continued to support his administration, despite indictments highlighting his involvement with traffickers.
Trump had previously expressed his admiration for Hernández at the Israeli American Council National Summit, where he commended the Honduran leader for “working with the United States very closely” to curb drug trafficking at the southern border.
In response to the pardon announcement, Hernández’s pastor informed Honduran media that the decision stemmed from the personal friendship between Trump and Hernández, emphasizing the role of their relationship. Meanwhile, Honduran authorities indicated that investigations into Hernández’s alleged domestic crimes remain active and suggested he would likely face arrest upon his return, despite being exonerated from U.S. charges.
Trump’s pardon coincided with his direct involvement in Honduras’ upcoming election, where he urged citizens to elect National Party candidate Tito Asfura. The party has faced allegations of drug-related financing and electoral fraud in the past. On Truth Social, Trump stated, “If Tito Asfura wins for President of Honduras… we will be very supportive. If he doesn’t win, the United States will not be throwing good money after bad,” threatening to withdraw economic aid if Hondurans choose a different candidate.
Two days earlier, he had urged voters on social media to back Asfura, calling him “the only real friend of Freedom in Honduras” while labeling ruling Libre Party candidate Rixi Moncada a Fidel Castro admirer and describing Liberal Party contender Salvador Nasralla as a “borderline Communist.”
The pardon also comes against a broader backdrop of U.S.-linked efforts to shape Honduran politics. Leaked recordings released by the Libre party this fall captured senior National Party figures allegedly plotting to delay vote transmission, manufacture perceptions of fraud, and lean on NGOs, international observers, and the U.S. Embassy to invalidate a Libre victory and force a new election.
The conversations, which referenced “tools that the people at the Embassy gave us,” outlined a strategy to present Nasralla as the initial winner and then demand outside intervention when results shifted.
Hernández’s National Party first consolidated power after a 2009 U.S.-backed coup and later retained control through a 2017 election marred by a suspicious blackout at the vote-tallying center, followed by a sudden reversal that delivered him a second term; the Trump administration quickly recognized his victory.
Now, after Hernández’s U.S. conviction for massive cocaine smuggling, Trump’s decision to free him — combined with economic threats aimed at pushing Hondurans toward a party long tied to narco-trafficking and electoral manipulation — cements Washington’s direct role in shaping the country’s political future.
