Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez, convicted in the United States for drug trafficking, has been released, according to updated records from the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), after receiving a full pardon from US President Donald Trump.

After Trump stated that he feels “very good” about having pardoned him, as he considers himself the victim of a “witch hunt” by the previous administration of Joe Biden, comments from US officials, several representatives and senators, both Republican and Democratic, agree that the pardon of Hernandez is unjustified and problematic.

In this regard, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) spoke on the Senate floor and harshly criticized President Trump's hypocritical decision to pardon former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez, convicted of drug trafficking, while deploying a quarter of the US armed forces in the Caribbean.

to combat drug trafficking.

“I want to begin with a truly disgusting and alarming piece of news that the American people received this morning. This morning, former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez was released from prison following a pardon from Donald Trump.

We all know that Trump commits many hypocritical acts—hypocrisy emanates from the White House almost daily—but to pardon one of the world’s biggest drug traffickers is appalling, shameful, and dangerous even for Donald Trump. It would be bad enough for Donald Trump to pardon this horrific drug trafficker, but to do so while sending a quarter of our armed forces to the Caribbean, near Honduras, to combat drug trafficking, is a complete mockery of Donald Trump’s supposed desire to eradicate drug trafficking.” "Trump's pardon reeks of hypocrisy, it reeks of corruption, which is the modus operandi of the Trump administration," stated Chuck Schumer.

Democrats question Caribbean bombings in light of Trump's pardon

On the other hand,Hispanic lawmakers from the Democratic Party questioned the United States' anti-drug bombings in the Caribbean following President Donald Trump's pardon of former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez, whose release was announced Tuesday after he had been imprisoned for his ties to drug cartels. Senators and representatives accused the government of "hypocrisy" for arguing that the attacks on more than 20 boats in the Pacific and Caribbean, which have left at least 83 dead, are to stop the flow of drugs, while Trump released a former president sentenced to 45 years in prison for drug trafficking. "While Pete Hegseth (Secretary of War) is illegally bombing boats and killing dozens of people in the Caribbean for alleged drug trafficking, Donald Trump is pardoning a notorious and convicted drug trafficker, Juan Orlando Hernandez. Dishonorable hypocrisy," they posted. Senator Alex Padilla of California, in X.

Democrats objected to Trump's anti-drug strategy over the release of Hernandez, who was released from prison on Monday after being extradited to the United States in April 2022, where in March 2024 he was sentenced to 45 years in prison on three counts of drug trafficking and weapons, plus five years of supervised release.

The former president was even accused of receiving money from Mexican drug lord Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman to finance election fraud in exchange for participating in a conspiracy that smuggled more than 500 tons of cocaine, but Trump said that former US President Joe Biden (2021-2025) "set him up."

Joaquin Castro, a federal representative from Texas, recalled that the Justice Department estimated that he helped smuggle 4.5 billion doses of cocaine into the United States, in addition to "being "He is at the center of one of the largest and most violent drug trafficking conspiracies in the world." He is responsible for the deaths of countless American citizens, and now Donald Trump is forgiving him. Don't tell me Donald Trump is killing people on boats in the Caribbean to stop drug trafficking," Castro wrote on his social media.

“While Pete Hegseth (Secretary of War) is illegally bombing boats and killing dozens of people in the Caribbean for alleged drug trafficking, Donald Trump is pardoning a notorious convicted drug trafficker, Juan Orlando Hernandez. Dishonorable hypocrisy,” posted Senator Alex Padilla of California on X.

Democrats objected to Trump’s anti-drug strategy because of the release of Hernandez, who was released from prison on Monday after being extradited to the United States in April 2022, where in March 2024 he was sentenced to 45 years in prison on three counts of drug and weapons trafficking, plus five years of supervised release.

The former president was even accused of receiving money from Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman to finance election fraud in exchange for participating in a conspiracy that smuggled more than 500 tons of cocaine.

of cocaine, but Trump said that former US President Joe Biden (2021-2025) “set him up.”

Texas Federal Representative Joaquin Castro recalled that the Department of Justice estimated that he helped smuggle 4.5 billion doses of cocaine into the United States, in addition to “being at the center of one of the largest and most violent drug trafficking conspiracies in the world.”

“He is responsible for the deaths of countless American citizens and now Donald Trump is forgiving him. Don’t tell me that Donald Trump is killing people on boats in the Caribbean to stop drug trafficking,” Castro wrote on his social media.

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