Overview
- President Trump granted a full pardon to Juan Orlando Hernández on December 1, 2025, and he was released from U.S. custody the same day.
- A Senate resolution led by Jeanne Shaheen and Peter Welch, joined by ten other Democrats, denounces the pardon as weakening the rule of law and damaging U.S. counternarcotics credibility.
- Hernández was convicted in March 2024 and sentenced in June 2024 to 45 years for trafficking and firearms conspiracies, with DOJ attributing more than 400 tons of cocaine to his network and trial testimony detailing extensive violence.
- Trump announced the planned pardon while endorsing National Party candidate Nasry “Tito” Asfura during Honduras’ close presidential race, which Honduran media reported showed Asfura narrowly ahead with most precincts counted by December 4.
- Honduras’ attorney general signaled Hernández could face domestic charges if he returns, as reactions inside the country remain sharply divided over his release.