President Donald Trump announced Friday on Truth Social that he intends to issue a full pardon to former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, who is currently serving a 45-year sentence in federal prison after being convicted on drug trafficking and weapons charges.
Hernández, once a key U.S. ally in Central America, was arrested in Tegucigalpa in February 2022 and extradited to the United States two months later.
Federal prosecutors accused Hernández of turning Honduras into a “narco-state,” using the power of the presidency to help move more than 400 tons of cocaine toward the United States. In return, prosecutors said, he accepted millions in bribes from major traffickers, including notorious cartel boss Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán. A New York federal jury found Hernández guilty in March 2024 on three counts related to drug trafficking and firearms conspiracies, leading to his June 2024 sentence of 45 years in prison, an additional five years of supervised release, and an $8 million fine.
Trump, however, suggested the former Honduran leader was mistreated. “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,” Trump wrote. He argued that the case takes on added significance following the victory of conservative Honduran presidential candidate Nasry “Tito” Asfura.
“This cannot be allowed to happen, especially now, after Tito Asfura wins the Election, when Honduras will be on its way to Great Political and Financial Success,” Trump added.
Friday’s post marks the second time in a week that Trump has openly praised Asfura, the candidate representing Honduras’s conservative National Party. In a Wednesday message, Trump said he and Asfura “can work together to fight the Narcocommunists, and bring needed aid to the people of Honduras.” The message emphasized Trump’s view that alignment with conservative leaders abroad is key to stabilizing Central America and managing regional security threats.
The president doubled down Friday with a direct endorsement: “VOTE FOR TITO ASFURA FOR PRESIDENT, AND CONGRATULATIONS TO JUAN ORLANDO HERNANDEZ ON YOUR UPCOMING PARDON. Thank you for your attention to this matter. MAKE HONDURAS GREAT AGAIN!”
Trump also warned that if Asfura does not win this weekend’s election, U.S. aid to Honduras will dry up under his administration. “The United States will not be throwing good money after bad, because a wrong Leader can only bring catastrophic results to a country, no matter which country it is,” he said.
The announcement adds a new layer of geopolitical tension, as Hernández’s conviction was the result of a multiyear U.S. Justice Department effort targeting corruption and drug trafficking at the highest levels of the Honduran government. Trump’s promise of a pardon signals a dramatic departure from the approach of prior administrations, prioritizing political alignment and regional strategy over prior prosecutorial decisions.
With Honduras heading into a consequential election and Trump reshaping U.S. foreign policy in real time, the fate of Juan Orlando Hernández is now tied not only to the American justice system but to the outcome of Honduran politics — and Trump’s own standing on the world stage.
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