TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) — Former Honduras President Juan Orlando Hernández, sentenced last year to 45 years in prison for his role in aiding drug traffickers move hundreds of tons of cocaine to the United States, was released from prison following a pardon from President Donald Trump, his wife announced.
The U.S. Bureau of Prisons inmate website verified that Hernández was released from U.S. Penitentiary, Hazelton in West Virginia on Monday, a spokesperson for the bureau confirmed.
His wife Ana García thanked Trump via the platform X, sharing the news of her husband's release and the struggles they faced during his incarceration. After almost four years of pain, waiting, and difficult challenges, my husband Juan Orlando Hernández has RETURNED to being a free man, thanks to the presidential pardon granted by President Donald Trump, she declared.
When questioned about the decision to pardon Hernández, Trump stated, I was asked by Honduras, many of the people of Honduras. This controversial pardon is viewed by some as a potential political move, coinciding with Hernández's previous connections to American authorities amidst anti-drug efforts.
Hernández’s release brings into focus his complicated legacy. He was arrested at the request of U.S. authorities in February 2022 and charged with taking bribes to allow drug traffickers safe passage in Honduras.
While maintaining his innocence and claiming he was a victim of revenge by traffickers he had assisted in extraditing, his legal troubles may not be over. Recently, Honduran Attorney General Johel Zelaya indicated that his office is obligated to pursue justice, hinting at potential legal challenges upon Hernández’s return to Honduras.
This political dynamic gained attention as it introduced a new variable into the ongoing presidential election in Honduras, with many asserting the pardon could influence the outcomes in favor of Hernández's political allies.
