Donald Trump has stated that he will pardon the former president of Honduras, Juan Orlando Hernández, who was convicted of drug trafficking charges in a U.S. court last year.
The U.S. president claimed Hernández had been treated very harshly and unfairly in a social media post announcing the decision on Friday.
Hernández was found guilty in March 2024 of conspiring to import cocaine into the U.S. and possessing machine guns, leading to a 45-year prison sentence.
Trump also expressed support for conservative presidential candidate Nasry Tito Asfura in the upcoming general election in Honduras, scheduled for Sunday.
Hernández, a member of the National Party, served as president from 2014 to 2022. He was extradited to the U.S. in April 2022 to face trial for his role in a violent drug trafficking conspiracy, which involved smuggling hundreds of tons of cocaine into the United States.
In the anticipated election, polls show a competitive race involving Asfura, former defense minister Rixi Moncada from the ruling left-wing Libre Party, and Salvador Nasralla from the centrist Liberal Party.
Trump criticized Moncada and Nasralla in his postings, labeling Nasralla as a borderline Communist and alleging he was running to divide the votes between Moncada and Asfura.
Asfura has been characterized by Trump as a pro-democracy candidate and has campaigned against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, escalating the political tension amidst ongoing U.S.-Venezuela relations.
His administration's accusations against Maduro as a figurehead of a drug cartel highlight the strategic and politically motivated approaches in U.S. foreign policy related to drug trafficking.
Honduras, under President Xiomara Castro since 2022, maintains a cooperative relationship with the U.S. while fostering ties with Cuba and Venezuela. Castro's administration has agreed to continue an extradition treaty with the U.S., which supports joint efforts to combat organized crime.
Since August, over 80 individuals are reported to have died as a result of U.S. military operations targeting drug trafficking vessels, prompting legal debates over the justification and legality of these military actions.
