Trump says he will pardon former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez

President Donald Trump announced Friday that he will pardon former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, who was convicted last year in the United States of conspiring to import cocaine.

Hernandez, who was extradited to the U.S. in April of 2022, has long maintained his innocence, citing his former reputation as an anti-drug trafficker. But a New York judge claimed the former leader used "considerable acting skills" to portray himself as a hero of the anti-drug trafficking movement, while doing the opposite.

Trump, who also used the same post to encourage Hondurans to vote for conservative presidential candidate Tito Asfura in Sunday's elections, claimed Hernandez was badly mistreated in the United States.

"I will be granting a Full and Complete Pardon to Former President Juan Orlando Hernandez who has been, according to many people that I greatly respect, treated very harshly and unfairly," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "This cannot be allowed to happen, especially now, after Tito Asfura wins the Election, when Honduras will be on its way to Great Political and Financial Success."

The move to pardon a convicted drug-trafficker, who was also convicted of weapons offenses, comes as the Trump administration conducts a military campaign on alleged Venezuelan drug boats to stop the flow of fentanyl and cocaine into the United States.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.