By John Q. Hosedrinker 
Former US President Donald Trump announced on Friday his intention to pardon ex-Honduras president Juan Orlando Hernández, who was convicted of drug trafficking and firearms offenses. Hernández was sentenced to 45 years in prison after being found guilty of importing cocaine into the US. Trump also expressed support for conservative candidate Tito Asfura in the upcoming Honduran general election, criticizing other candidates and accusing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro of involvement in drug-related activities. The former president’s statement came amidst the backdrop of US counternarcotics operations in the region, which legal experts have questioned.
Read the original article here
Trump says he will pardon ex-Honduras president convicted of drug trafficking, and frankly, it’s enough to make your head spin. How can you even begin to reconcile this move with, well, anything? Here’s a guy, the former president of Honduras, who was convicted of running a massive drug trafficking operation. We’re talking about hundreds of tons of cocaine being funneled into the United States, all under his watch. The details are chilling: he facilitated the importation, used his power to protect the operation, and lined his pockets with drug money. He was sentenced to 45 years in prison for his crimes, and if the Justice Department is to be believed, he was the center of a huge violent drug trafficking ring.
The sheer audacity of it all is staggering. We’re talking about a man who allegedly used his political clout to protect and enrich drug traffickers, even as he publicly claimed to be fighting against narcotics. It’s the ultimate hypocrisy. He’s making grand pronouncements about fighting the drug war, while simultaneously considering a pardon for a man who profited immensely from it.
One thing that immediately jumps to mind is the apparent lack of consistency. There seems to be a real disconnect when you consider this against the backdrop of the administration’s actions elsewhere. We’ve seen, or heard tell of, instances where aggressive actions were taken against alleged drug traffickers, including the destruction of boats. And yet, here we are, potentially pardoning a convicted drug lord. It’s hard not to see this as a blatant display of double standards.
It’s hard to avoid the obvious conclusion: this looks like corruption, plain and simple. The question that arises from it is, what’s in it for Trump? What’s the incentive? Did the former president of Honduras grease the wheels in some way? The suspicion is almost impossible to ignore. A pardon like this doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Someone, somewhere, stands to benefit, and it’s difficult to see that benefit extending to anyone but Trump and perhaps the former Honduran president.
The implications of all this are vast. How does this affect the US’s standing on the international stage? How does this affect our relationships with our allies? How does this impact the ongoing fight against drug trafficking, both domestically and abroad? It’s hard to imagine that this decision will do anything but undermine the credibility of any anti-drug efforts.
It is worth noting that Trump has a history of pardons for individuals involved in criminal activities. One such individual was Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the Silk Road dark web marketplace, a large-scale source of drug distribution.
The optics of all of this are terrible. It’s hard to imagine this going down well with anyone, regardless of their political affiliation.
It’s difficult to imagine a more blatant slap in the face to the concept of justice.
The overall takeaway is pretty clear: This decision raises serious questions about Trump’s priorities and his commitment to the rule of law. It’s a move that’s likely to be seen as cynical, corrupt, and ultimately damaging to the United States’s image and its efforts to combat drug trafficking, both within its borders and internationally.