"Juan Orlando Hernandez, 58, left the Hazelton maximum-security prison in West Virginia on Monday, where he had been serving a 45-year sentence for his ties to drug trafficking. Hernandez, who was president of Honduras between 2014 and 2022, was released thanks to a pardon from U.S. President Donald Trump, who also tried to influence last Sunday's presidential election in the Central American country by endorsing the conservative candidate Nasry Tito Asfura, who belongs to the same political party as Hernandez."
"During his years in power, Hernandez had been a staunch ally of the White House. He ostensibly collaborated in the fight against drug trafficking, but in reality, he was exploiting his influence in the Central American country to ensure that the police, the military, and the judges turned a blind eye while he conducted business with drug traffickers. During his presidency, Honduras received more than $50 million from the U.S. administration to combat drug trafficking."
Juan Orlando Hernandez, 58, was released from the Hazelton maximum-security prison after receiving a pardon from U.S. President Donald Trump. Hernandez had been serving a 45-year sentence following a June 2024 New York conviction for conspiring for over a decade with drug traffickers who paid bribes to ensure more than 400 tons of cocaine reached the United States. The conviction also noted possession of an extensive arsenal of machine guns and other firearms. Hernandez led Honduras from 2014 to 2022, received substantial U.S. anti-drug and military aid, and used influence to shield drug trafficking activities, prompting U.S. officials to consider Honduras a narco-state.
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