TRUMP to pardon ex-Honduras leader serving drug trafficking sentence in US

Sunday, November 30, 2025 -President Donald Trump announced on Friday that he will grant a full pardon to former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, who is currently serving a 45‑year prison sentence in the United States.

Hernández was convicted in 2024 of drug trafficking and firearms charges in a U.S. federal court — accused of conspiring to import cocaine into the United States and of using his position to facilitate large‑scale narcotics shipments.

In a social‑media post, Trump said that “according to many people that I greatly respect,” Hernández was “treated very harshly and unfairly.” As part of the same announcement, Trump expressed support for conservative Honduran presidential candidate Nasry Asfura and suggested that U.S. backing and aid to Honduras could depend on the outcome of the upcoming election.

The pardon decision has sparked controversy, both because of Hernández’s conviction on serious drug‑trafficking charges and because the timing — just days before Honduras’s presidential vote — strongly aligns the act with political interests. 

Critics argue it undermines anti‑drug efforts and raises questions about justice and accountability. Others, including Hernández’s family and legal supporters, view the pardon as rectifying what they say was an overly harsh and politically charged verdict.