Republicans and Democrats criticize the pardon of Juan Orlando Hernandez; Schumer Accuses Trump of Hypocrisy
US officials, several representatives and senators from both parties agree that the pardon of Orlando Hernandez is unjustified and problematic
After Trump stated that he feels “very good” about having pardoned him, as he considers himself the victim of a “witch hunt” by the previous administration of Joe Biden, comments from US officials, several representatives and senators, both Republican and Democratic, agree that the pardon of Hernandez is unjustified and problematic.
In this regard, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) spoke on the Senate floor and harshly criticized President Trump's hypocritical decision to pardon former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez, convicted of drug trafficking, while deploying a quarter of the US armed forces in the Caribbean.
to combat drug trafficking.
Democrats question Caribbean bombings in light of Trump's pardon
Democrats objected to Trump's anti-drug strategy over the release of Hernandez, who was released from prison on Monday after being extradited to the United States in April 2022, where in March 2024 he was sentenced to 45 years in prison on three counts of drug trafficking and weapons, plus five years of supervised release.
The former president was even accused of receiving money from Mexican drug lord Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman to finance election fraud in exchange for participating in a conspiracy that smuggled more than 500 tons of cocaine, but Trump said that former US President Joe Biden (2021-2025) "set him up."
Democrats objected to Trump’s anti-drug strategy because of the release of Hernandez, who was released from prison on Monday after being extradited to the United States in April 2022, where in March 2024 he was sentenced to 45 years in prison on three counts of drug and weapons trafficking, plus five years of supervised release.
The former president was even accused of receiving money from Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman to finance election fraud in exchange for participating in a conspiracy that smuggled more than 500 tons of cocaine.
of cocaine, but Trump said that former US President Joe Biden (2021-2025) “set him up.”
Texas Federal Representative Joaquin Castro recalled that the Department of Justice estimated that he helped smuggle 4.5 billion doses of cocaine into the United States, in addition to “being at the center of one of the largest and most violent drug trafficking conspiracies in the world.”