Honduras seeks arrest of ex-President Hernández after Trump pardon

Honduras has ordered the arrest of its former president Juan Orlando Hernández, who was recently pardoned by U.S. President Donald Trump after serving just a portion of his 45-year prison sentence for drug trafficking.

Attorney General Johel Zelaya announced Monday that he had instructed Honduran authorities and Interpol to execute a two-year-old arrest warrant for Hernández on fraud and money laundering charges. The warrant, signed by a Supreme Court magistrate, explicitly states it should be carried out “in the case that the accused is freed by United States authorities.”

Zelaya’s announcement comes just days after Hernández’s surprise release from federal prison in the United States following Trump’s pardon. The former president had been sentenced last year after being convicted of helping transport tons of cocaine to the U.S. during his eight years in office from 2014 to 2022.

The fraud and money laundering charges stem from the so-called Pandora case, in which Honduran prosecutors allege government funds were diverted through a network of non-governmental organizations to political parties, including Hernández’s 2013 presidential campaign. Dozens of Honduran officials and politicians have been implicated in the investigation.

Renato Stabile, an attorney representing Hernández, dismissed the arrest order as politically motivated. “This is obviously a strictly political move on behalf of the defeated Libre party to try to intimidate President Hernandez as they are being kicked out of power in Honduras,” Stabile said in an email. “It is shameful and a desperate piece of political theatre and these charges are completely baseless.”

The timing of the arrest order coincides with Honduras’ contentious presidential election. The country is still awaiting final results, with Nasry Asfura, the conservative National Party candidate endorsed by Trump, holding a slim lead over Salvador Nasralla of the Liberal Party.

The outcome could significantly impact Hernández’s future. An Asfura victory might create a more favorable environment for Hernández’s potential return to Honduras, while Nasralla has campaigned on an anti-corruption platform and has previously accused Hernández of stealing the 2017 election through voting irregularities.

Hernández’s dramatic fall from power has stunned many in Honduras and across the region. Once considered a key U.S. ally in the war on drugs, he became the subject of a U.S. extradition request shortly after leaving office in 2022. He was subsequently detained and sent to the U.S. by current President Xiomara Castro, who leads the social democratic LIBRE party.

Throughout his presidency and legal proceedings, Hernández consistently denied any wrongdoing, portraying himself as one of the strongest anti-drug allies of the United States. His wife has stated that the former president is currently in an undisclosed location for his safety following his release.

Trump’s decision to pardon Hernández came just days before Honduras’ national election, adding a volatile element to an already tight race. The former U.S. president claimed that Hondurans had requested the pardon and that after reviewing the case, he believed Hernández had been unfairly treated by prosecutors.

The pardon has drawn mixed reactions in Honduras, where some remain nostalgic for Hernández’s time in office despite the serious criminal convictions. Many Hondurans, however, expressed shock that a man convicted in a high-profile drug trafficking case could be released so early in his sentence.

As political tensions rise in Honduras, the international community is closely watching how this unprecedented situation unfolds, with potential implications for regional security, anti-corruption efforts, and U.S.-Honduras relations.