Honduras’ Attorney General has issued an arrest warrant for former President Juan Orlando Hernández, just days after he was released from U.S. federal prison following a controversial pardon by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Attorney General Johel Antonio Zelaya Álvarez confirmed Monday on X that he has instructed national authorities and Interpol to arrest Hernández, who faces money laundering and fraud charges in Honduras.
“We have been lacerated by the tentacles of corruption and by criminal networks that have profoundly marked the life of our country,” Zelaya wrote, sharing a photo of the Supreme Court’s arrest order dated November 28—the same day Trump announced plans to pardon Hernández.
Hernández Was Serving 45-Year U.S. Sentence
Hernández served as President from 2014 to 2022.
In the U.S., he was convicted last year of drug trafficking, sentenced to 45 years in prison, and fined $8 million for allegedly working with drug cartels that moved over 400 tons of cocaine through Honduras toward the U.S.
Trump pardoned him on December 3, calling his prosecution a “Biden horrible witch hunt.”
The decision triggered bipartisan backlash in Washington and criticism in Honduras.
New Charges Linked to Pandora II Corruption Case
Domestically, Hernández faces charges tied to Pandora II, a sweeping anti-corruption probe involving senior politicians and business elites.
Prosecutors allege he siphoned $2.4 million in kickbacks from public contracts to finance his 2013 presidential campaign.
His lawyer, Renato Stabile, told CNN the arrest warrant is purely political:
“A desperate piece of political theatre… These charges are completely baseless.”
Honduras May Seek Extradition
Luis Santos, head of the Specialized Unit Against Corruption Crimes, confirmed to CNN that Hernández has had an active case in the Supreme Court since 2023, and that an international arrest warrant has been held by Interpol for more than a year.
He warned that if Hernández does not return voluntarily, authorities will request extradition from the United States.
Hernández Responds
Hernández has repeatedly insisted he is innocent, claiming his conviction relied on testimony from “criminals seeking revenge.”
After his release, he thanked Trump on X for “having the courage to defend justice.”
