Juan Orlando Hernández

Juan Orlando Hernández served as president of Honduras from 2014 to 2022. Following his tenure, he faced extensive criminal proceedings in the United States related to drug trafficking and corruption. In March 2024, a U.S. federal jury convicted Hernández of three counts: conspiring to import cocaine into the United States and weapons offenses, including the use of machine guns and destructive devices. Prosecutors demonstrated that, beginning around 2004, Hernández accepted millions of dollars in bribes from major drug traffickers, including Joaquín El Chapo Guzmán, to protect cocaine shipments and facilitate their transit through Honduras. He was sentenced in June 2024 to 45 years in prison and fined $8 million. Throughout his career, Hernández faced allegations of misappropriating government funds, including an estimated $360 million from the Departmental Development Fund, and participating in voter fraud during his 2013 and 2017 election campaigns. His brother, Juan Antonio Tony Hernández, was also convicted of drug trafficking and sentenced to life in prison in 2021. Hernández maintained his innocence throughout his trial, claiming he was the victim of political persecution and retaliation by drug traffickers. On November 28, 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump announced a pardon for Hernández, citing his belief that the prosecution was unfair and politically motivated. Hernández was released from U.S. federal prison on December 1, 2025. He currently faces outstanding charges in Honduras related to fraud and money laundering, for which he has signaled his intent to plead innocent.