President Donald Trump mentioned Friday he intends to grant a “full and complete pardon” to former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, a transfer that may erase a significant US drug-trafficking conviction for a onetime US ally who’s at the moment serving a 45-year federal prison sentence.
“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 announced on his Truth Social platform.
“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. VOTE FOR TITO ASFURA FOR PRESIDENT, AND CONGRATULATIONS TO JUAN ORLANDO HERNANDEZ ON YOUR UPCOMING PARDON.”
President of Honduras from 2014 till 2022, Hernández was sentenced final yr and given an $8 million high quality by a US decide for drug trafficking offenses.
Prosecutors had accused Hernández of conspiring with drug cartels throughout his tenure as they moved greater than 400 tons of cocaine by Honduras towards the United States. In alternate, prosecutors mentioned, Hernández obtained hundreds of thousands of {dollars} in bribes that he used to gas his rise in Honduran politics.
During his years in workplace, the Justice Department mentioned, Hernández “protected and enriched the drug traffickers in his inner circle.” Prosecutors cited his use of govt energy to assist extraditions to the US of sure drug traffickers “who threatened his grip on power,” whereas “promising drug traffickers who paid him and followed his instructions that they would remain in Honduras.”
The president’s announcement comes as his administration has centered in latest months on what it has mentioned is a counter-drug operation in the Caribbean and the Pacific, with US military activity ramping up there.
The former Honduran president, who denied the chargers towards him, had been extradited from Honduras after the US Department of Justice filed three drug-trafficking and firearms-related costs towards him in 2022.
Following the announcement, Hernández’s legal professional thanked Trump and mentioned “we look forward to President Hernandez’s triumphant return to Honduras.”
“We are so grateful to President Trump and everyone who supported President Hernandez. We believe he was the victim of lawfare and a political prosecution. A great injustice has been righted and we are so hopeful for the future partnership of the United States and Honduras,” legal professional Renato Stabile mentioned in an announcement.
Trump additionally used his Truth Social publish Friday to strongly again Honduran conservative National Party presidential candidate Nasry “Tito” Asfura, tying US assist to the result of the election.
“If Tito Asfura wins for President of Honduras, because the United States has so much confidence in him, his Policies, and what he will do for the Great People of Honduras, we will be very supportive,” the president wrote.
“If he doesn’t win, 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. Tito will be a Great President, and the United States will work closely with him in order to ensure the success, with all of its potential, of Honduras!”
On Sunday Honduras will maintain its basic elections.