Overview
- U.S. Bureau of Prisons records show Hernández was released Monday from a West Virginia facility after the pardon, with White House officials confirming his freedom.
- A New York jury in March 2024 convicted him of international drug trafficking and firearms offenses, resulting in a 45-year sentence.
- The Justice Department had alleged he abused presidential power to facilitate massive cocaine shipments to the United States, calling the network among the largest and most violent.
- Press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the pardon by saying he was treated unfairly under the prior administration and that the case relied heavily on cooperating criminals' testimony.
- Trump paired the pardon announcement with a public appeal for Hondurans to support conservative candidate Nasry Asfura as the presidential tally remained extremely close against Salvador Nasralla.