TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) — Former Honduras President Juan Orlando Hernández, sentenced final 12 months to 45 years in jail for his function in serving to drug traffickers transfer a whole bunch of tons of cocaine to the USA, was launched from jail following a pardon from President Donald Trump, his spouse introduced Tuesday.
The U.S. Bureau of Prisons inmate web site confirmed that Hernández was launched from U.S. Penitentiary, Hazelton in West Virginia on Monday and a spokesperson for the bureau on Tuesday confirmed his launch.
His spouse Ana García thanked Trump for pardoning Hernández by way of the social platform X early Tuesday.
“After almost four years of pain, of waiting and difficult challenges, my husband Juan Orlando Hernández RETURNED to being a free man, thanks to the presidential pardon granted by President Donald Trump,” García’s submit mentioned. She included an image of the U.S. Bureau of Prisons itemizing for Hernández indicating his launch.
Hernández was arrested on the request of the USA in February 2022, weeks after handing over energy to present President Xiomara Castro.
Andy Buchanan/Pool by way of AP
Two years later, he was sentenced to 45 years in jail in a New York federal courtroom for taking bribes from drug traffickers so they might safely transfer some 400 tons of cocaine north by means of Honduras to the USA.
Hernández maintained all through that he was harmless and the sufferer of revenge by drug traffickers he had helped extradite to the USA.
On Sunday, Trump was requested about why he pardoned Hernandez by reporters touring with him on Air Pressure One.
“I was asked by Honduras, many of the people of Honduras,” Trump mentioned.
“The people of Honduras really thought he was set up, and it was a terrible thing,” he mentioned.
“They basically said he was a drug dealer because he was the president of the country. And they said it was a Biden administration set-up. And I looked at the facts and I agreed with them.”
The pardon promised by Trump days earlier than Honduras’ presidential election injected a brand new ingredient into the competition that some mentioned helped the candidate from his Nationwide Occasion Nasry Asfura, one of many leaders because the vote depend proceeded Tuesday.
