• Trump announces he will pardon former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez.
• Hernandez was serving a 45-year sentence for drug trafficking and firearms charges.
• The pardon comes just days before critical presidential elections in Honduras.
• Trump ties U.S. support for Honduras to the success of conservative candidate Tito Asfura.
• Critics question the pardon amidst ongoing U.S. anti-drug operations in the region.

President Donald Trump announced on November 28 that he will grant a pardon to former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez, who is currently serving a 45-year prison sentence in the United States for drug trafficking and firearms offenses. Trump asserted on social media that Hernandez was “treated very harshly and unfairly,” based on advice from “many people that I greatly respect” according to Reuters, South China Morning Post, and CBS News.

Hernandez was convicted in March 2024 for conspiring to import cocaine into the U.S., and his administration was accused of facilitating the trafficking of large quantities of drugs, including ties to the infamous Sinaloa cartel. With the presidential elections in Honduras imminent, Trump's decision is intertwined with his endorsement of conservative National Party candidate Nasry “Tito” Asfura. Trump warned that if Asfura loses, "the United States will not be throwing good money after bad," as reported by Al Jazeera and India Times.

The announcement further complicates U.S. relations with Honduras under the current leftist administration of Xiomara Castro but reflects Trump’s ongoing strategy of aligning U.S. foreign policy with right-wing Latin American leaders. Castro has shown a pragmatic approach to U.S. relations, focusing on maintaining cooperation despite her ideological stance, as noted from various outlets including BBC and NPR.

Hernandez's conviction marked a significant moment for U.S.–Honduras relations, with critics questioning the justification of granting a pardon to a leader implicated in large-scale drug trafficking. The Trump administration has emphasized combatting drug cartels, even as it faces scrutiny for its pardon decision alongside ongoing military operations aimed at drug trafficking in the Caribbean region, according to Le Monde and LA Times.