Honduras Seeks Arrest of Former President Days After Trump Pardon
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras — Just days after former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández was pardoned by former U.S. President Donald Trump, Honduras’ attorney general has called for his immediate arrest, reigniting a contentious legal battle that has captured international attention. Johel Antonio Zelaya Alvarez, Honduras’ attorney general, announced on December 8 that he had directed national authorities and Interpol to execute a two-year-old arrest warrant against Hernández, citing charges of fraud and money laundering related to a high-profile corruption case.
Hernández, who was sentenced in 2024 to 45 years in prison by a U.S. federal court for allegedly facilitating the trafficking of over 400 tons of cocaine into the United States, was released last week following Trump’s controversial pardon. The attorney general emphasized the deep scars corruption has left on Honduras, stating, “We have been lacerated by the tentacles of corruption and by the criminal networks that have deeply marked the life of our country.”
The arrest warrant, signed by a magistrate of the Honduras Supreme Court in 2023, stipulates that it must be executed if Hernández is freed by U.S. authorities. This legal directive now places Hernández at the center of a renewed effort by Honduran officials to hold him accountable domestically despite his release abroad.
The charges stem from the so-called Pandora case, in which prosecutors allege that government funds were illicitly funneled through nongovernmental organizations to political parties, including Hernández’s 2013 presidential campaign. This case implicated dozens of Honduran officials and politicians, casting a long shadow over the country’s political landscape. Hernández’s trajectory from a key U.S. ally in the war on drugs to a fugitive facing extradition requests underscores the complex and often fraught relationship between Honduras and the United States.
Following his departure from office in 2022, Hernández was extradited to the U.S. under the administration of current Honduran President Xiomara Castro, leader of the social democrat LIBRE party. Castro’s government has taken a firm stance against corruption, which has been a persistent issue in Honduras for decades. However, Hernández’s legal team has dismissed the renewed arrest efforts as politically motivated. Renato Stabile, Hernández’s lawyer, described the move as “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,” calling the charges “completely baseless.”
The pardon granted by Trump has drawn sharp criticism and raised questions about the intersection of U.S. politics and international justice. Trump stated that Hernández was “treated very harshly and unfairly,” suggesting that the former president’s trial was politically charged. This pardon has complicated diplomatic relations and legal proceedings, as the U.S. Department of Justice continues to grapple with the implications of the decision.
Hernández’s case is emblematic of broader challenges confronting Honduras, including entrenched corruption, drug trafficking, and political instability. The U.S. Department of Justice has long worked with Honduran authorities to combat narcotics trafficking, but the pardon and subsequent arrest warrant highlight the difficulties in balancing justice and diplomacy.
As Honduran authorities coordinate with international agencies to execute the arrest order, the situation remains fluid. The involvement of U.S. State Department officials and international law enforcement agencies will be pivotal in determining Hernández’s next steps. Meanwhile, the Honduran public watches closely, eager for accountability and transparency in a country where corruption has often undermined public trust.
This latest development underscores the complexities of international law and the enduring impact of political decisions across borders. With Hernández now free from U.S. custody yet facing arrest at home, the coming weeks will be critical in shaping the future of justice and governance in Honduras.
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