President Trump announced Friday his intention to pardon former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez, who was convicted in 2024 on drug trafficking and weapons charges in New York and sentenced to 45 years in federal prison.
The facts are straightforward. Hernandez, who served two terms leading the Central American nation of approximately 10 million people, was convicted in March 2024 in U.S. court for conspiring to import cocaine into the United States. That is a serious charge, and the conviction came with serious consequences.
Yet the president explained his decision through social media, stating that “according to many people that I greatly respect,” Hernandez was “treated very harshly and unfairly.” This raises legitimate questions about prosecutorial overreach and whether the justice system applied consistent standards in this case.
The pardon announcement came embedded within a larger strategic message about American interests in Honduras. Trump explicitly endorsed Tito Asfura for the Honduran presidency, making clear that U.S. support for Honduras depends entirely on who leads the country. This represents foreign policy as it should be conducted: with clear expectations and consequences.
“The United States will not be throwing good money after bad, because a wrong Leader can only bring catastrophic results to a country, no matter which country it is,” Trump posted. This is the kind of direct communication that cuts through diplomatic doublespeak. American taxpayers deserve to know their money supports governments that align with American interests, not those that work against them.
The current situation in Honduras provides context for this decision. Outgoing President Xiomara Castro has maintained leftist political positions while pragmatically cooperating with American officials. She has hosted Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and received U.S. Army Gen. Laura Richardson during her tenure as commander of U.S. Southern Command. Castro has also backed away from threats to terminate Honduras’ extradition treaty and military cooperation agreements with the United States.
Under Castro’s administration, Honduras has accepted deportations of its own citizens from the United States and served as a transit point for deported Venezuelans, who were subsequently retrieved by Venezuela from Honduran territory. This cooperation matters for American border security.
The timing of this pardon, immediately before Honduras’ Sunday election, signals that the Trump administration views Central American leadership as directly relevant to American national interests. The message is clear: leaders who cooperate with American priorities on issues like immigration and drug trafficking will receive American support. Those who do not will face consequences.
Whether Hernandez deserved the harsh sentence he received is a legitimate question. Whether the timing of this pardon serves American strategic interests in Central America is another. What cannot be disputed is that Trump is using every tool available to advance what he views as American priorities in a region that directly impacts border security and drug trafficking into the United States.
The election results this Sunday will reveal whether this approach yields the desired outcome for American interests in Honduras.
Related: Trump Vows Major Immigration Restrictions After Thanksgiving Day Tragedy