Former Honduras president freed after Trump pardon

Juan Orlando Hernandez (AP)

Former Honduras president Juan Orlando Hernandez, sentenced last year to 45 years in prison for his role in helping 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 has announced.

The US Bureau of Prisons inmate website showed that Mr Hernandez was released from US Penitentiary, Hazelton in West Virginia on Monday and a spokesperson for the bureau on Tuesday confirmed his release.

His wife Ana Garcia thanked Mr Trump for pardoning Mr Hernandez via the social platform X early on Tuesday.

“After almost four years of pain, of waiting and difficult challenges, my husband Juan Orlando Hernandez returned to being a free man, thanks to the presidential pardon granted by President Donald Trump,” Ms Garcia’s post said.

She included a picture of the US Bureau of Prisons listing for Mr Hernandez indicating his release.

¡Dios es fiel y nunca falla!

Ayer, lunes 1 de diciembre de 2025, vivimos un día que jamás olvidaremos. Después de casi cuatro años de dolor, de espera y de pruebas difíciles, mi esposo Juan Orlando Hernández VOLVIÓ a ser un hombre libre, gracias al perdón presidencial otorgado… pic.twitter.com/OBjdAShAWo

— Ana García de Hernández (@anagarciacarias) December 2, 2025

Mr Hernandez was arrested at the request of the United States in February 2022, weeks after handing over power to current president Xiomara Castro.

Two years later, he was sentenced to 45 years in prison in a New York federal courtroom for taking bribes from drug traffickers so they could safely move some 400 tons of cocaine north through Honduras to the United States.

Mr Hernandez maintained throughout that he was innocent and the victim of revenge by drug traffickers he had helped extradite to the United States.

On Sunday, Mr Trump was asked about why he pardoned Mr Hernandez by reporters travelling with him on Air Force One.

“I was asked by Honduras, many of the people of Honduras,” Mr Trump said.

“The people of Honduras really thought he was set up, and it was a terrible thing,” he said.

“They basically said he was a drug dealer because he was the president of the country. And they said it was a Biden administration set-up. And I looked at the facts and I agreed with them.”

The pardon promised by Mr Trump days before Honduras’ presidential election injected a new element into the contest that some said helped the candidate from his National Party Nasry Asfura, one of the leaders as the vote count proceeded on Tuesday.