Trump Pardons Ex-Honduran President Amid Drug Trafficking Accusations
For months, President Donald Trump has criticized Latin American drug traffickers for flooding the United States with “lethal poison,” justifying dozens of military strikes against alleged drug boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean, resulting in more than 140 deaths.
Last month, Trump celebrated a U.S. Military operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, bringing them to the U.S. To face charges related to cocaine trafficking. Trump claimed Maduro led a “vicious cartel” responsible for countless American deaths.
However, the Trump administration took a different approach with former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, who was convicted in the U.S. In 2024 and sentenced to 45 years in prison for conspiring to import cocaine. On December 1, Trump granted Hernández a full and complete pardon after he served less than four years of his sentence.
The government’s actions extended beyond the pardon itself. Records show that on the day of his release, an immigration detainer – a request to hold non-citizens for ICE pickup – was in place for Hernández. The Federal Bureau of Prisons then worked to remove the detainer, allowing him to walk free.
Hernández did not simply leave the prison. According to records and sources familiar with the situation, prison officials used a specialized tactical team, paid overtime, to transport him from a high-security facility in West Virginia to the Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York City. Before departing, Hernández was permitted to use the captain’s government phone to speak with Joshua Smith, the deputy director of the federal prison system, who himself had been pardoned by Trump in 2021 after a drug trafficking conviction.
“The [prisons bureau] administration rolled out the red carpet for him,” said Joe Rojas, a retired prison worker and former union leader, speaking on behalf of staff who fear reprisal. “The staff are disgusted.”
Renato Stabile, Hernández’s attorney, stated his client’s treatment was appropriate, arguing that returning Hernández to Honduras would have put him in danger. Through his attorney, Hernández declined to comment.
ICE referred questions to the White House, which responded with a link to a November social media post announcing Trump’s intent to pardon Hernández. Smith did not respond to a request for comment. A BOP spokesperson stated the bureau does not discuss conditions of confinement or security procedures and that staff are prohibited from giving preferential treatment.
The investigation into Hernández spanned several U.S. Presidencies. Despite facing legal trouble and allegations of corruption, Hernández was initially seen as a key U.S. Ally under the Obama and first Trump administrations, ostensibly due to his willingness to address drug trafficking and migration.
In 2012, as president of Honduras’ National Congress, he pushed through a legal change allowing for the extradition of accused criminals to the U.S. – a reform ironically later used to extradite him.
In 2018, the Drug Enforcement Administration arrested Hernández’s younger brother, Tony Hernández, in Miami on weapons and drug trafficking charges. A jury found him guilty the following year, with the prosecutor, Emil Bove, alleging the Honduran president’s involvement in criminal schemes. Bove later became Trump’s personal defense lawyer.
Dana Frank, a University of California, Santa Cruz history professor who studies Honduras, described Hernández as a “repressive criminal.” She pointed to a “technical coup” he led in 2012 to overthrow the supreme court and his contested reelection in 2017, which was followed by protests and alleged human rights abuses.
After leaving office in 2022, Hernández was arrested and extradited to the U.S. To face drug trafficking and weapons charges. Prosecutors alleged he funded his political career with millions from drug trafficking organizations in exchange for facilitating cocaine exports.
Stabile maintained his client’s case was weak, relying on unreliable testimony and lacking hard evidence. However, the government’s case was sufficient to secure a conviction after just over eight hours of jury deliberation.
Early last year, Hernández was transferred to Hazelton penitentiary in West Virginia, a notoriously violent prison. He reportedly participated in a therapeutic program for drug addiction and criminal thinking.
With Trump’s return to office, a pardon became a possibility. Hernández had connections to Trump allies, including those who invested in special economic zones in Honduras. Roger Stone also advocated for clemency, sending Trump a letter from Hernández. Stone stated he was not compensated for his involvement.
On November 28, Trump announced his intent to pardon Hernández, urging Hondurans to vote for the National Party candidate, Nasry “Tito” Asfura.
The Honduran election was plagued by delays, intimidation, and allegations of fraud.
On December 1, while votes were still being counted, Trump posted again on Truth Social in support of Asfura, threatening consequences if the results were changed. The pardon officially went through that same day.
That evening, Hernández was transported from Hazelton to the Waldorf Astoria in New York City by a tactical team, with overtime pay. Prison officials removed an immigration detainer, and Hernández was released.
As of now, Hernández’s whereabouts are unknown. He stated he would not return to Honduras immediately due to safety concerns. Honduran officials have issued an arrest warrant for him over fraud allegations, but Interpol has not issued a red notice for his arrest.
