The President of the United States, Donald Trump, announced that he will grant a full pardon to Juan Orlando Hernandez, former president of Honduras, convicted in New York for drug trafficking in 2024.

The message came in a political statement where he also endorsed Honduran candidate Tito Asfura through from his official Truth Social account.

Political support and pardon announcement

Through this social network, Trump posted that the United States “will provide great support” to Honduras if Asfura wins the presidency, assuring that he fully trusts him and his policies. In that same message, he announced that he would grant a full pardon to Hernandez, 57, whom, he said, “many respected people” believe has been treated harshly and unjustly.

The US president wrote:

If Tito Asfura wins the presidency of Honduras, the United States will give him great support […] In addition, I will grant a full and complete pardon to former President Juan Orlando Hernandez, who, according to many people whom I deeply respect, he has been treated very harshly and unjustly […] VOTE FOR TITO ASFURA FOR PRESIDENT AND CONGRATULATIONS TO JUAN ORLANDO HERNANDEZ ON HIS UPCOMING PARDON.” Donald Trump – US President

Juan Orlando Hernandez and his past

According to The Washington Post, Hernandez was convicted in 2024 in federal court for participating in a conspiracy to import cocaine into the United States and for weapons-related offenses. The newspaper noted that the Prosecutors accused him of receiving bribes from drug cartels and exploiting Honduran state structures to facilitate illicit shipments. Reuters reported that Hernandez was sentenced to 45 years in prison, in addition to facing a multimillion-dollar fine imposed by the federal court. His case had a major international impact because he was one of the highest-profile former Latin American presidents to be tried for drug trafficking in the United States.

Trump's announcement generated immediate reactions in Honduras,where it was interpreted as an explicit message to the electorate and to Asfura's campaign. According to Reuters, the candidate's team did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Trump and his support for Tito Asfura

Tito Asfura, former mayor of Tegucigalpa and known for his conservative profile within the National Party of Honduras, is one of the most visible contenders in the Honduran electoral process.

The country will hold its next general elections on November 30, 2025, when Xiomara Castro's successor will be elected. Asfura, who already ran in 2021, maintains a significant support base and has focused his campaign on promises of economic stability and institutional strengthening.