Trump says he will pardon ex-Honduras president convicted of drug trafficking

November 29, 2025

President Donald Trump announced plans to pardon former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, who was convicted in 2024 on drug trafficking and weapons charges and sentenced to 45 years in prison. Trump claims Hernández, who led Honduras from 2014 to 2022 before being extradited to the United States, received unfair treatment despite being found guilty of conspiring to smuggle hundreds of tons of cocaine into America. The announcement comes just before Honduras's general election, where Trump has endorsed conservative candidate Nasry Asfura while criticizing his opponents as leftist threats.

Who is affected

Juan Orlando Hernández (former Honduran president convicted of drug trafficking)
Nasry "Tito" Asfura (conservative presidential candidate receiving Trump's endorsement)
Rixi Moncada (left-wing presidential candidate criticized by Trump)
Salvador Nasralla (centrist presidential candidate criticized by Trump)
President Xiomara Castro (current Honduran president)
President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela
More than 80 people killed in US strikes on vessels
Honduran voters participating in Sunday's election
US military personnel conducting Operation Southern Spear

What action is being taken

Trump is pardoning Juan Orlando Hernández
Honduras is holding a general election (due Sunday)
The Trump administration is conducting military strikes on vessels suspected of drug smuggling in the Caribbean as part of "Operation Southern Spear"
The US maintains a military base in Honduras targeting transnational organized crime

Why it matters

This matters because it represents a significant intervention by the United States in Honduran politics during a critical election period, with Trump pardoning a convicted drug trafficker while simultaneously claiming to combat narcotics trafficking. The contradiction undermines US credibility on anti-drug efforts in Latin America and could influence the election outcome in Honduras, a country that hosts US military operations and maintains important cooperative relationships on security issues. The controversial military strikes that have killed over 80 people, combined with political interference, risk destabilizing US relations with Central American nations and raise serious questions about the consistency and legality of American foreign policy in the region.

What's next

Honduras's general election will be held on Sunday
Salvador Nasralla has pledged to cut ties with Venezuela if he wins
No explicit next steps stated in the article regarding the timing of Hernández's pardon or the continuation of military operations

Read full article from source: BBC