Trump Pardons Former Honduran President Hernández, Erasing U.S. Drug-Trafficking Conviction. President Donald Trump has formally pardoned former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, wiping out his major U.S. drug-trafficking conviction. Hernández was released from a West Virginia prison immediately after the pardon, according to his attorney and Bureau of Prisons records. Convicted last year and sentenced to 45 years plus an $8 million fine, Hernández had been found guilty of conspiring with drug cartels to move more than 400 tons of cocaine toward the U.S. His attorney thanked Trump for “correcting this injustice,” and Hernández’s wife celebrated on social media, calling him a “free man.” The White House defended the move, claiming Hernández was a victim of “Biden over-prosecution,” despite evidence that his brother was prosecuted during Trump’s first term. Prosecutors previously alleged Hernández took millions in cartel bribes to strengthen his political power in Honduras. Several Trump allies, including Roger Stone, had pushed for the pardon and argued Hernández was unfairly targeted. The decision comes even as the Trump administration escalates its campaign against drug cartels in the Caribbean, prompting criticism over mixed messaging.