Honduras AG orders arrest of ex‑President Hernández, asks Interpol after Trump pardon
President Trump granted a full pardon to former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernández, who was serving at USP Hazelton after a U.S. conviction for conspiring to import more than 400 tons of cocaine (he had been sentenced to 45 years and was appealing); Hernández was released, Trump defended the move, and it drew bipartisan criticism. Honduras Attorney General Johel Zelaya ordered authorities and asked Interpol to execute a 2023 Supreme Court magistrate arrest order—triggered if Hernández were freed—accusing him in the "Pandora" scheme of fraud and money‑laundering tied to diversion of state funds to political parties; Hernández’s lawyer called the action political and his whereabouts after release remain unclear. The pardon, coming after Trump’s endorsement of National Party candidate Nasry “Tito” Asfura, has overshadowed a tight Honduran presidential vote.
Donald Trump
Honduras
U.S. Justice Department
U.S.–Latin America Relations
Honduras Election
Clemency and Pardons
U.S. Foreign Policy
U.S.–Honduras Relations
Presidential Clemency
Drug Trafficking Prosecutions
Presidential Pardons
Latin America and Drug Trafficking
Drug Trafficking Policy
Honduras Corruption
📌 Key Facts
- President Donald Trump granted a full and complete pardon to former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández; a White House official confirmed the pardon and Trump defended it publicly, calling the case a “Biden setup,” while Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt labeled the prosecution “Biden overprosecution.”
- Hernández had been imprisoned at U.S. Penitentiary Hazelton in West Virginia after a federal conviction that included conspiring to import more than 400 tons of cocaine (he was sentenced to 45 years) and related weapons offenses; Judge P. Kevin Castel described Hernández as a “two‑faced politician” who concealed protection of the drug trade.
- The Bureau of Prisons confirmed Hernández’s release (reported Dec. 1, 2025); his wife Ana García posted a screenshot of the BOP listing, Hernández thanked Trump on social media and called his conviction wrongful, but his whereabouts after release remain undisclosed and a quick return to Honduras is not guaranteed.
- Honduras Attorney General Johel Zelaya ordered authorities to execute a 2023 Supreme Court magistrate arrest order covering alleged fraud and money‑laundering charges if Hernández was freed by U.S. authorities, and asked Interpol to help carry out the arrest; prosecutors link that case to the so‑called “Pandora” scheme alleging diversion of government funds via NGOs to political parties, including Hernández’s 2013 campaign.
- Hernández’s legal team said the pardon corrected an injustice—his U.S. attorney Renato C. Stabile thanked Trump—and Hernández remains actively appealing his conviction; reports also say members of his legal team declined further comment, and Hernández’s Honduran defenders called the AG’s arrest move political and baseless.
- Roger Stone lobbied publicly for Hernández’s release, saying he delivered a four‑page letter from Hernández to Trump; the letter addressed Trump as “Your Excellency,” alleged wrongful conviction, criticized Hernández’s counsel, and asserted the Biden DOJ pursued a political agenda.
- The pardon came amid a tightly contested Honduran presidential election in which Trump publicly endorsed National Party candidate Nasry “Tito” Asfura, attacked rivals (calling Rixi Moncada and Salvador Nasralla “communist” or “borderline communist”), and the late intervention appeared to affect a close vote count (partial tallies showed Asfura narrowly leading Nasralla by a small margin).
- The decision drew bipartisan criticism in the U.S.—Sen. Tim Kaine called the pardon “shocking,” and Senators Bill Cassidy and Thom Tillis also questioned or criticized the move for undermining anti‑narcotics efforts and U.S. policy consistency.
📊 Relevant Data
Honduras scored 22 out of 100 on the 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index by Transparency International, indicating very high levels of perceived public sector corruption.
Corruption Perceptions Index 2024 — Transparency.org
Honduras had a homicide rate of approximately 31.4 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2023, one of the highest in the region, largely driven by gang violence and drug trafficking.
Countries with The Highest Murder Rates - Most Recent 2024 Data — Slaycation
In Honduras, 53.3% of the population lived below the poverty line in 2023, with rural areas experiencing higher rates of extreme poverty.
Honduras Poverty Rate | Historical Chart & Data — Macrotrends
Key causes of migration from Honduras to the United States include violence, corruption, poverty, and climate-related events, contributing to the displacement of thousands annually.
Central American Immigrants in the United States — Migration Policy Institute
Drug trafficking organizations in Honduras have deeply infiltrated politics and institutions, contributing to ongoing violence and corruption in 2024.
How Narco Money Reached the Highest Levels of Politics in 2024 — InSight Crime
📊 Analysis & Commentary (1)
Trump’s Pardon for Cocaine Juan
"The WSJ editorial criticizes President Trump’s pardon of former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernández as a politically motivated move that rewards a convicted trafficker and undermines accountability for large‑scale cocaine smuggling and its attendant violence."
📰 Sources (12)
Honduras seeks arrest of ex-President Hernández after Trump pardon
New information:
- Honduras AG Johel Zelaya ordered authorities and asked Interpol to execute a 2023 arrest order for Juan Orlando Hernández.
- The 2023 Supreme Court magistrate order—covering alleged fraud and money laundering—stipulated execution if Hernández was freed by U.S. authorities.
- Prosecutors link the case to the 'Pandora' scheme alleging diversion of government funds via NGOs to political parties, including Hernández’s 2013 campaign.
- Hernández’s lawyer Renato Stabile called the move political and baseless.
- Hernández’s whereabouts remain undisclosed after his U.S. release; the development comes amid a tight Honduran presidential race Trump has weighed in on.
Former world leader thanks Trump for pardon: 'You changed my life'
New information:
- Juan Orlando Hernández issued his first public statement since release, thanking Donald Trump on X and claiming he was 'wrongfully convicted' and 'set up' by the Biden administration and the 'deep state.'
- Trump told reporters he pardoned Hernández in part because 'a lot of people in Honduras' asked him to, and called the prior case a 'Biden horrible witch hunt.'
- Republican Senators Bill Cassidy and Thom Tillis publicly criticized the pardon, with Cassidy questioning freeing Hernández while pursuing Maduro and Tillis calling the move inconsistent with current U.S. posture toward Venezuela.
Former Honduran president released from US prison after Trump pardon
New information:
- Bureau of Prisons confirmed to Fox News that Juan Orlando Hernández was released on Monday, Dec. 1, 2025.
- Trump said Hernández was 'treated very harshly and unfairly,' implying a politically driven or over‑prosecuted case.
- Article reiterates conviction specifics (conspiring to import 400+ tons of cocaine; related weapons offenses; two‑week trial) and includes the judge’s assessment that Hernández used 'considerable acting skills' to conceal protection of the drug trade.
Trump pardons Honduran ex-president who was convicted of drug crimes
New information:
- A White House official (on background) confirmed President Trump granted the pardon to Juan Orlando Hernández.
- Sen. Tim Kaine publicly condemned the pardon as “shocking,” arguing it undermines anti‑narcotics efforts, with an on‑record quote on CBS’ Face the Nation.
- Roger Stone lobbied for Hernández’s release and says he delivered a four‑page letter from Hernández to Trump asserting wrongful conviction and “lawfare by the Biden‑Harris administration.”
- Trump previously teased the action in a social post: “CONGRATULATIONS TO JUAN ORLANDO HERNANDEZ ON YOUR UPCOMING PARDON… MAKE HONDURAS GREAT AGAIN!”
- Background specifics reiterated from court records: Judge P. Kevin Castel called Hernández a “two‑faced politician hungry for power,” and former AG Merrick Garland said Hernández operated Honduras as a narco‑state.
- Context note that Hernández’s government moved Honduras’s Israel embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and cultivated ties with Trump during overlapping terms.
Former Honduras President Hernández freed from prison after Trump pardon
New information:
- Bureau of Prisons spokesperson confirmed Hernández’s release; inmate website showed release from USP Hazelton on Monday.
- Trump’s on‑the‑record Air Force One remarks explaining the pardon, including claiming Hernández was a 'Biden administration set‑up.'
- Hernández’s wife, Ana García, thanked Trump on X and posted a screenshot of the BOP listing.
- Honduras Attorney General Johel Zelaya said his office is obligated to seek justice and end impunity, signaling possible charges; Hernández is not guaranteed a quick return to Honduras.
Honduran ex-president pardoned by Trump released from prison, wife says
New information:
- Juan Orlando Hernández has been released from the U.S. Penitentiary Hazelton after a presidential pardon; his wife announced his release and BOP records show a matching release entry.
- President Trump publicly defended the pardon aboard Air Force One, alleging the case was a 'Biden setup.'
- White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called the prosecution a 'clear Biden overprosecution' and referenced 'egregious' information from the trial.
- Bipartisan criticism followed: Sen. Bill Cassidy questioned the decision and Sen. Tim Kaine called it 'shocking,' citing the scale of the cocaine conspiracy.
- Context noted: the pardon comes as the administration orders maritime strikes on suspected drug boats and backs a Honduran party candidate amid a tense election count.
Scoop: The letter behind Trump's pardon of Honduras' ex-president for drug trafficking
New information:
- Hernández sent Trump a four-page letter addressing him as "Your Excellency," praising his resilience and alleging the Biden DOJ pursued a political agenda in his case.
- Roger Stone published multiple Substack posts urging a pardon and says he directly lobbied Trump on Friday; minutes after Trump endorsed Asfura, he posted that he’d pardon Hernández.
- Trump told reporters the Hernández case "was a Biden setup."
- Axios details letter claims of ineffective counsel; context notes former AUSA Emile Bove (now a Trump-appointed judge) previously worked the Hernández cases, undercutting a pure political-persecution narrative.
Why Trump vows to pardon a Honduran drug trafficker, but threatens war elsewhere
New information:
- With 57.3% of ballots counted, Nasry Asfura leads with 39.91% vs. Salvador Nasralla’s 39.89%, a 515‑vote margin; Rixi Moncada has 19.86%.
- Trump posted after official campaigning ended, labeling Moncada a “communist,” Nasralla “borderline communist,” and calling Asfura “the only real friend of Freedom in Honduras.”
- Local analyst attribution that Trump’s endorsement improved Asfura’s standing, noting he had trailed Nasralla in polls before the endorsement.
Hondurans vote in close presidential race overshadowed by surprise Trump intervention
New information:
- Honduran presidential voting began Sunday, Nov. 30, with lines forming at Tegucigalpa polling sites; one site opened about 30 minutes late.
- AP identifies the three leading contenders: Rixi Moncada (LIBRE), Salvador Nasralla (Liberal Party), and Nasry “Tito” Asfura (National Party).
- The article emphasizes Trump’s late‑stage endorsement of Asfura and pledge to pardon ex‑President Juan Orlando Hernández overshadowed the race; impact on results remains unclear.
- Context on voter priorities: security and jobs remain top issues, homicide rates have declined regionally but Honduras remains highest in Central America; economy strengthened under Castro.
- On‑the‑ground color and reaction including a deported Honduran’s criticism of Trump’s policies.
Trump plans 'full and complete pardon' for former Honduran president convicted of drug trafficking
New information:
- Trump’s explicit wording that he will grant a 'Full and Complete Pardon' to Juan Orlando Hernández.
- Trump links the pardon rhetorically to Nasry 'Tito' Asfura’s prospective victory and says the U.S. would be 'very supportive' if Asfura wins.
- Direct Truth Social quotes in which Trump calls Hernández 'treated very harshly and unfairly.'
- Trump sharply criticizes rivals Rixi Moncada and Salvador Nasralla, labeling Nasralla a 'borderline Communist' and accusing him of splitting Asfura’s vote.
- Context that Hondurans vote Sunday and polls show Asfura virtually tied with Moncada and Nasralla (via Reuters).
- Restated conviction specifics: Hernández was sentenced to 45 years for conspiring to import over 400 tons of cocaine into the U.S.
Trump plans to pardon former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez
New information:
- NPR/AP specify Hernández is currently imprisoned at U.S. Penitentiary Hazelton in West Virginia.
- Hernández is actively appealing his conviction.
- Attorney Renato C. Stabile issued a statement thanking Trump and calling the outcome a correction of an injustice; co-counsel Sabrina Shroff declined comment.
- Additional political context in Honduras: details on candidate Nasry 'Tito' Asfura’s background and prior embezzlement allegations he denies, plus mention of other contenders Rixi Moncada and Salvador Nasralla.