Trump's Vow To Pardon Jailed Ex-Honduran President S...

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President Donald Trump has faced criticism for announcing that he would pardon the former president of Honduras, Juan Orlando Hernández, who is serving a 45‑year sentence in the United States for drug trafficking.

Trump posted on Truth Social he would issue the order for Hernández, who was convicted in 2024 of conspiring to import 400 tons of cocaine into the U.S.

Trump linked the pardon to his endorsement of Nasry “Tito” Asfura, the conservative candidate in Honduras' upcoming election, warning that U.S. support could be cut if Asfura loses.

Newsweek has contacted the White House for comment.

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Why It Matters

Pardoning a foreign leader convicted in U.S. courts has raised concerns about Trump's use of executive clemency and appears to contradict his tough anti-drug trafficking policy in Latin America.

Trump's statement could also be seen as an intervention in a foreign election, which could undermine the current leftist government of Xiomara Castro and boost Hernández’s party.

What To Know

Trump said on Truth Social that he would give a full pardon to Hernández, who he said had been treated "very harshly and unfairly."

Trump said this should not be allowed to happen and pledged his support for Tito Asfura in the upcoming presidential election, suggesting that if he did not win, the U.S. would stop support for Honduras and "not be throwing good money after bad."

Hernández, from the country’s National Party, served as president from 2014 to 2022, but he was plagued by corruption scandals that led to widespread protests.

He was accused of taking bribes from Joaquin Guzman, the former leader of the Sinaloa cartel in Mexico known as "El Chapo." Hernández was jailed for 45 years in prison in Manhattan last year.

People took to social media to express anger at Trump's statement, which appeared to be at odds with his professed crackdown on drug traffickers in Latin America, in which dozens are reported to have been killed following U.S. strikes in the Caribbean.

The attorney Bradley P. Moss posted on social media: “Trump: I will kill the drug cartels. Also Trump: Pardoning a powerful drug trafficker."

Texas representative Joaquin Casto, a Democrat, posted on X that Hernandez was responsible for the deaths of countless American citizens, adding: "Don’t tell me Donald Trump is killing people in boats in the Caribbean to stop drug trafficking."

What People Are Saying

President Donald Trump on Truth Social: "I will be granting a Full and Complete Pardon to Former President Juan Orlando Hernandez who has been, according to many people that I greatly respect, treated very harshly and unfairly."

Mike Vigil, a former chief of international operations at Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), told The New York Times: "This action would be nothing short of catastrophic and would destroy the credibility of the U.S. in the international community."

Representative Joaquin Castro wrote on X: "Juan Orlando Hernandez was convicted by a jury of conspiring to traffic 400 tons of cocaine into the United States... He is responsible for the deaths of countless American citizens, and will now be pardoned by Donald Trump. Don’t tell me Donald Trump is killing people in boats in the Caribbean to stop drug trafficking."

California representative Norma Torres wrote on X: "I spent years fighting corruption in Latin America. Hernández ran a cartel-backed criminal empire that trafficked over 400 tons of cocaine into the U.S., used his office to steal U.S. taxpayer dollars, and bought political power with drug money."

Senator Tim Kaine wrote on X: "And Trump claims he’s trying to fight narco-trafficking?"

David Axelrod, a former adviser to President Barack Obama, wrote on X: "How do you reconcile President Trump's self-proclaimed war on "narco-terrorists" with the full and complete pardon he just gave this notorious facilitator of drug trafficking?"

What Happens Next

Trump gave no timeline for pardoning Hernández, which would nullify his conviction and sentence and see him freed.

Meanwhile, Honduras will go to the polls on Sunday to vote for its president, vice president and all 128 members of the National Congress.

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