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 Honduras’s Attorney General Johel Antonio Zelaya Alvarez, who stated on social media that he has requested assistance from various government entities and the global police organization Interpol to locate and detain Hernández.
Zelaya cited the ongoing battle against corruption as a key reason for the warrant. “We have been lacerated by the tentacles of corruption and by criminal networks that have profoundly marked the life of our country,” he posted, sharing a photo of the Supreme Court’s arrest order dated November 28, 2023—the same day Trump announced his intention to pardon Hernández. This decision faced backlash from political figures in both the U.S. and Honduras.
Hernández served as President of Honduras from 2014 until 2022 and was previously convicted on drug trafficking charges, receiving a 45-year sentence and an $8 million fine from a U.S. federal court last year. His domestic charges are linked to a vast anti-corruption investigation known as Pandora II, which has implicated numerous high-profile politicians and business leaders in the nation. Prosecutors allege that Hernández illegally funneled approximately $2.4 million in kickbacks from public contracts related to his 2013 presidential campaign.
In response to the arrest warrant, Hernández’s attorney Renato Stabile characterized it as a politically motivated action by the ruling Libre Party, which opposes the conservative National Party that Hernández once led. “This is obviously a strictly political move on behalf of the defeated radical left Libre party as they are being forced out of power by the people of Honduras. It is shameful and desperate political theatre, and these charges are completely baseless,” Stabile stated.
Hernández’s legal troubles do not appear to be abating. According to Luis Santos, the director of Honduras’ Specialized Unit against Corruption Crimes, Hernández has an open case in the Supreme Court of Justice for money laundering and fraud. Santos noted that a previous international arrest warrant had been in the possession of the Ministry of Security and Interpol since September 2023. He also mentioned that if Hernández does not return to Honduras, authorities would seek his extradition from the United States.
Trump formally pardoned Hernández on December 3, 2023, stating at the White House, “I feel pretty good about it,” and referring to the prosecution as a “Biden horrible witch hunt.” This move has drawn criticism from both Republican and Democratic lawmakers, who questioned the rationale behind pardoning an individual with a drug trafficking conviction while the administration has focused heavily on combating drug trafficking in Latin America.
U.S. prosecutors previously accused Hernández of colluding with drug cartels during his presidency, which involved the movement of over 400 tons of cocaine through Honduras toward the United States. They alleged that Hernández received millions in bribes, which he reportedly used to advance his political ambitions. Throughout these proceedings, Hernández has maintained his innocence, claiming that the trial was “rigged” and based on testimonies from criminals seeking revenge.
In a recent post on social media, Hernández expressed gratitude to Trump for what he described as “having the courage to defend justice at a moment when a weaponized system refused to acknowledge the truth.” As the situation develops, the implications for both Hernández and the political landscape in Honduras remain unclear, but the arrest warrant signifies a significant escalation in the ongoing fight against corruption within the country.
