President Donald Trump has formally pardoned former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, according to his attorney Renato Stabile and a White House official. The pardon has been widely criticized by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, with many questioning why Trump would grant clemency to a convicted drug trafficker.
Hernández was convicted last year to 45 years in prison and given an $8 million fine by a US judge for his role in drug trafficking offenses. Despite this conviction, Trump had announced his intention of granting a "full and complete pardon" to Hernández, which has been seen as contradictory to the administration's efforts to stop drug trafficking.
Hernández's release from prison was confirmed by his attorney, who stated that Trump's pardon was a "clear correction of this injustice." However, lawmakers have argued that pardoning someone with such a lengthy and serious conviction sends the wrong message about the US government's commitment to fighting narco-trafficking.
The White House has defended Trump's plan to pardon Hernández, claiming that it was a case of "Biden over-prosecution" due to the fact that Hernández was the president of Honduras at the time. However, critics argue that this justification is unfounded and ignores the severity of Hernández's crimes.
Prosecutors had alleged that Hernández conspiring with drug cartels during his tenure as president, moving more than 400 tons of cocaine through Honduras towards the United States in exchange for millions of dollars in bribes. The pardon has been seen as a reward to Hernández for fueling his rise in Honduran politics.
The move has sparked criticism from both Republican and Democratic lawmakers, with many suggesting that it undermines the administration's efforts to combat drug cartels in the region. Trump's decision has also raised questions about the influence of wealthy and powerful allies on his pardon decisions.
Hernández was convicted last year to 45 years in prison and given an $8 million fine by a US judge for his role in drug trafficking offenses. Despite this conviction, Trump had announced his intention of granting a "full and complete pardon" to Hernández, which has been seen as contradictory to the administration's efforts to stop drug trafficking.
Hernández's release from prison was confirmed by his attorney, who stated that Trump's pardon was a "clear correction of this injustice." However, lawmakers have argued that pardoning someone with such a lengthy and serious conviction sends the wrong message about the US government's commitment to fighting narco-trafficking.
The White House has defended Trump's plan to pardon Hernández, claiming that it was a case of "Biden over-prosecution" due to the fact that Hernández was the president of Honduras at the time. However, critics argue that this justification is unfounded and ignores the severity of Hernández's crimes.
Prosecutors had alleged that Hernández conspiring with drug cartels during his tenure as president, moving more than 400 tons of cocaine through Honduras towards the United States in exchange for millions of dollars in bribes. The pardon has been seen as a reward to Hernández for fueling his rise in Honduran politics.
The move has sparked criticism from both Republican and Democratic lawmakers, with many suggesting that it undermines the administration's efforts to combat drug cartels in the region. Trump's decision has also raised questions about the influence of wealthy and powerful allies on his pardon decisions.
. This pardon is a total head-scratcher. I mean, 45 years in prison for cocaine trafficking? That's some serious damage. Interesting how Trump is making an exception, considering it's not like Hernández was just a small-time dealer... 
Can you believe this? The guy was a convicted narco-trafficker and got pardoned by Trump, now he's free to get back into politics... probably with some new "business ventures" 
. And the White House is like, "oh, it's not our fault, Biden over-prosecuted him"... sounds like they're trying to justify a pardon for a crime 
. I mean, what's next? A "full and complete pardon" for all the people who broke the law during the Clinton era? 
It just doesn't add up to me. And what's with the 'Biden over-prosecution' excuse? That's just a weak attempt to shift the blame. 
Trump should be holding himself accountable for his own pardon decisions, not trying to deflect it on someone else.
It just seems like another example of how Trump's administration is more concerned with protecting his buddies than doing what's right.
.
pardoning him isn't gonna send the wrong message to all the other narco-traffickers out there, trust me. 
what about the Hondurans who are actually fighting for a better life? shouldn't that be our priority? 
. It sends the wrong message about our country's commitment to fighting narco-trafficking... like, what are we even doing here? 
... anyway, back to Trump and Hernández... 45 years is a looong time to be locked up, you know? I mean, what if he did the right thing all those years ago and we're just now finding out about it? 
We're already dealing with some serious issues with narco-trafficking and corruption in our country, and then we go and pardon someone who's been convicted of such serious crimes. It feels like we're more concerned with politicking than doing what's right. And yeah, the whole "Biden over-prosecution" thing doesn't add up... it just seems like a weak excuse to justify the pardon.
. Some say it's a reward for fueling his rise in Honduran politics 
, but others see it as a way to show that even the most high-profile prisoners can get a second chance 
. Maybe Trump felt that 45 years in prison was too harsh a punishment? 
. Maybe Hernández is really reformed and just wants to start fresh 
.
. The fact that Trump pardoned him has definitely sparked controversy, but maybe it's time we focus on finding common ground instead of tearing each other apart 
?