Overview
- After U.S. forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, the Justice Department charged him with narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and related conspiracy counts.
- At a Mar-a-Lago press conference, President Trump said Juan Orlando Hernández was persecuted unfairly, likened the case to his own prosecutions, and cited support in Honduras including his endorsement of president-elect Nasry Asfura.
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he did not review the Hernandez pardon file, while arguing that any disagreement with the clemency does not justify leaving Maduro in power.
- Sen. Mark Warner said the pardon undercuts the rationale for using force against Venezuela, calling the stance hypocritical given the similar drug-trafficking allegations.
- Hernández was convicted in 2024 in the U.S. of helping move hundreds of tons of cocaine and was sentenced to 45 years, before receiving a full pardon on Dec. 1, 2025 that led to his release.