Trump announces plan to pardon former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, convicted of drug trafficking

U.S. President Donald Trump announced Friday his intention to grant a full pardon to former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, who was convicted in 2024 on drug trafficking and weapons charges in a U.S. federal court.

Mr. Hernández, who served two terms as the leader of the Central American nation between 2014 and 2022, was sentenced last year to 45 years in prison after being found guilty of conspiring to import cocaine into the United States. He is currently serving his sentence at the U.S. Penitentiary, Hazelton, in West Virginia, and has been appealing his conviction.

President Trump explained his decision in a social media post, stating that "according to many people that I greatly respect," Mr. Hernández was "treated very harshly and unfairly." The pardon has not yet been officially granted by the administration, authorities said.

The announcement marks a significant development in a case that U.S. authorities had viewed as a major victory against high-level corruption and drug trafficking involving a former head of state. Mr. Hernández was extradited to the United States in April 2022.

The decision to pardon Mr. Hernández arrived just days before Honduras is scheduled to hold its presidential election on Sunday. The announcement carried strong political implications for the country, as President Trump also used social media to express support for Nasry Asfura, the candidate of Mr. Hernández's right-wing party.

In his post, Mr. Trump suggested that future U.S. support for Honduras could depend on the outcome of the election, stating that if his preferred candidate does not win, the United States would cut aid.

The pardon announcement also created a notable dissonance with the administration's stated strategy regarding drug cartels in the Western Hemisphere. Less than 24 hours after announcing the pardon, President Trump signaled on Saturday that he was intensifying his campaign against drug trafficking organizations. In a separate social media post, the president stated that the airspace above and surrounding Venezuela should be considered "CLOSED IN ITS ENTIRETY."

President Trump and his top aides have repeatedly characterized drug cartels as one of the most pressing dangers facing the United States, promising to eradicate them from the region.

Following President Trump's announcement on Friday, Mr. Hernández's wife and children gathered on the steps of their home in Tegucigalpa, where they kneeled in prayer.