Honduran Attorney General Johel Antonio Zelaya announced Monday that he had issued an international arrest warrant for former President Juan Orlando Hernandez. The information was released via a message posted on X, just as the former head of state had been released from the United States after receiving a presidential pardon from Donald Trump.
Hernandez, who was serving a 45-year prison sentence for drug trafficking, had been extradited to the United States and subsequently convicted for his role in a vast criminal network involved in cocaine trafficking into the US. His recent pardon has sparked outrage in Honduras, where judicial authorities say they intend to pursue their own case against him.
Shortly after his release, the former president released a video in which he spoke from an undisclosed location, welcoming Washington's decision. In it, he claimed to be the victim of a political campaign and reiterated his innocence, despite the well-documented accusations and convictions in the United States.
The issuance of this international arrest warrant opens a new phase of uncertainty regarding the legal future of Juan Orlando Hernandez. Honduran authorities have not specified the steps they intend to take to secure his arrest, nor the exact charges they intend to bring against him under their jurisdiction. This action, however, illustrates the Public Prosecutor's Office's determination to prosecute the former leader despite the American intervention, in a context where the fight against corruption and drug trafficking remains a major political issue in Honduras.
