Honduras has issued an arrest warrant for former President Juan Orlando Hernández, who was recently pardoned by former U.S. President Donald Trump. The announcement came from Johel Antonio Zelaya Alvarez, the country’s attorney general, who stated that law enforcement agencies and the international police organization Interpol have been notified to detain Hernández, who faces charges of money laundering and fraud.
In a post on social media platform X, Zelaya emphasized the dire consequences of corruption, saying, “We have been lacerated by the tentacles of corruption and by criminal networks that have profoundly marked the life of our country.” The arrest warrant, dated November 28, coincided with Trump’s announcement of his intention to pardon Hernández, a move that has attracted criticism from various political factions in both Honduras and the United States.
Juan Orlando Hernández, who served as Honduras’s president from 2014 to 2022, was previously convicted in the United States on drug trafficking charges, resulting in a 45-year prison sentence and a fine of $8 million. His domestic legal troubles are part of a broader anti-corruption investigation known as Pandora II, which has implicated numerous high-ranking officials and business leaders in Honduras. Prosecutors allege that Hernández illegally diverted approximately $2.4 million in kickbacks from public contracts during his 2013 presidential campaign.
In a statement to CNN, Hernández’s attorney, Renato Stabile, characterized the arrest warrant as a politically motivated maneuver by the ruling Libre party, which is opposed to Hernández’s former conservative National Party. Stabile claimed, “This is obviously a strictly political move on behalf of the defeated radical left Libre party… It is a shameful and desperate piece of political theatre and these charges are completely baseless.”
In a recent interview, Luis Santos, the director of Honduras’ Specialized Unit against Corruption Crimes, confirmed that Hernández has an ongoing case in the Supreme Court of Justice for money laundering and fraud. Santos revealed that an international arrest warrant had been active since September 2023. He indicated that if Hernández does not return to Honduras, the authorities would seek his extradition from the United States.
On December 3, 2023, Trump formally pardoned Hernández, expressing his support by stating, “I feel pretty good about it,” and labeling the prosecution as part of a “Biden horrible witch hunt.” This decision faced backlash from lawmakers across party lines, who questioned the rationale behind pardoning someone with a drug trafficking conviction while the administration has aimed to combat drug trafficking in Latin America.
U.S. prosecutors had accused Hernández of collaborating with drug cartels during his presidency, claiming that over 400 tons of cocaine were trafficked through Honduras to the United States under his watch. In return, Hernández allegedly received millions in bribes that fueled his political ascent. Despite these serious allegations, Hernández has maintained his innocence, asserting that his trial was “rigged” and based on testimonies from individuals seeking revenge.
In a post on X following his release, Hernández expressed gratitude to Trump for “having the courage to defend justice at a moment when a weaponized system refused to acknowledge the truth.” As the political landscape in Honduras continues to evolve, the implications of this arrest warrant and the surrounding controversies remain significant for both the nation and its former leader.