Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, who was sentenced to 45 years in prison last year for his involvement in a drug-trafficking scheme that transported large quantities of cocaine to the United States, has been released from prison after receiving a pardon from President Donald Trump, officials confirmed on Tuesday.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons inmate website, Hernández was released from U.S. Penitentiary, Hazelton in West Virginia on Monday. A bureau spokesperson confirmed his release the following day. Hernández’s wife, Ana García, expressed gratitude to Trump for granting the pardon in a post on the social platform X early Tuesday.
In her post, García acknowledged the end of nearly four years of hardship, waiting, and challenges as her husband, Juan Orlando Hernández, regained his freedom through the presidential pardon issued by President Donald Trump. She included a snapshot of the U.S. Bureau of Prisons listing confirming Hernández’s release.
Trump responded to reporters questioning his decision to pardon Hernández during Air Force One travel on Sunday. He stated that he acted upon the request of Honduras, where many believed that Hernández was unjustly targeted in a severe situation.
Hernández’s attorney, Renato Stabile, mentioned in an emailed statement that he could not disclose the former president’s current whereabouts. Stabile conveyed Hernández’s relief that the “ordeal” had concluded and expressed gratitude to President Trump for rectifying what he described as an injustice.
Hernández was apprehended at the behest of the United States in February 2022, shortly after Xiomara Castro assumed the presidency of Honduras. Following a two-year legal process, Hernández was convicted and sentenced to 45 years in a New York federal court for accepting bribes from drug traffickers to facilitate the movement of approximately 360 tons of cocaine from Honduras to the United States.
At the commencement of his trial in February 2024, a U.S. prosecutor disclosed that Hernández had boasted to drug dealers during a meeting about their collaborative efforts in transporting drugs to the U.S. Hernández consistently maintained his innocence, attributing the situation to retaliation from drug traffickers whom he had assisted in extradition to the United States.
Trump insinuated in recent statements that Hernández was a victim of manipulation by U.S. Justice Department prosecutors during the previous administration. However, the jury swiftly reached a unanimous decision to convict the former president in less than two days.
During sentencing, federal Judge P. Kevin Castel emphasized that the penalty should serve as a deterrent to well-educated individuals in positions of power who believe their status shields them from accountability for wrongdoing. Hernández, who projected himself as an anti-drug trafficking hero, was revealed by trial evidence to have actively supported and protected the drug trade through his nation’s law enforcement and military forces.
The ex-president’s brother had previously been found guilty of distributing 165 tons of cocaine in a separate trial, being ordered to forfeit $138.5 million US in illicit drug trafficking proceeds.
The pardon of Hernández by Trump sparked disapproval among Democrats in Washington, with Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine labeling the decision as “shocking.” Republican responses varied, with some expressing trust in Trump’s judgment while others voiced disagreement with the pardon.
Hernández’s potential return to Honduras remains uncertain, as the country’s Attorney General emphasized the commitment to seek justice and combat impunity, hinting at possible future charges against Hernández in Honduras. Amid ongoing political developments, including a presidential election and Trump’s endorsement of a candidate, the situation continues to evolve.
