By John Q. Hosedrinker 
Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, sentenced to 45 years in prison for flooding the U.S. with over 400 tons of cocaine, received a pardon. The Justice Department described Hernández as the center of a massive drug-trafficking conspiracy that involved enabling violence, corruption, and murder. Evidence presented during the trial revealed Hernández accepted bribes, including $1 million from “El Chapo,” and allegedly made statements indicating his intent to flood the U.S. with drugs. He also allegedly used drug money to manipulate election results.
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Cocaine, Bribes And Murder: Inside The Accusations Against The Drug Lord Trump Just Pardoned
It’s truly something, isn’t it? The sheer audacity of it all. It’s hard to even call them “accusations” anymore when we’re talking about a convicted individual, someone already sentenced and facing a lengthy prison term. The evidence, we are told, was incredibly strong. The reality is that the former Honduran President, Juan Orlando Hernández, was sentenced to 45 years in prison. And yet, he’s been pardoned. It seems unbelievable that a man convicted of such serious crimes—a bribery scheme allegedly allowing hundreds of tons of cocaine into the US—would walk free.
It’s been suggested that Hernández was allegedly a major supplier for Donald Trump Jr., which makes the situation even more perplexing. It all adds up to a staggering level of corruption. And the timing couldn’t be worse. Many believe that this pardon, and perhaps others like it, warrant being reversed. There are whispers of impeachment, claims that taking bribes for pardons is an impeachable offense. Confidence in the system, and the ability to escape this morass of corruption, seems to be eroding daily. How can you justify such an act when the man was, after all, convicted in court?
The hypocrisy is just astounding. Bombing certain nations in the name of fighting drugs, and then pardoning a man who facilitated the trafficking of tons of cocaine into the United States? It’s a system that seems rigged. But as the system is set up, even when pardons are used corruptly, they often still stand. The rationale offered for this pardon, that “many of the people of Honduras” requested it, feels like a slap in the face. But the real reason? Some believe it’s about the Biden Administration’s efforts to prosecute him. Drug traffickers are apparently bad, except when it suits the political agenda of the moment.
It’s almost like a certain segment of the population is trapped, unable to criticize their own “team,” no matter how egregious the behavior. When politicians become part of a person’s identity, acknowledging their wrongdoing feels like a personal attack. This pardon, and others like it, force us to confront uncomfortable truths. It’s a wake-up call. We need to look closely at the reality. Why, exactly, is the former president allegedly murdering people under the guise of fighting a drug war while simultaneously pardoning a man involved in the trafficking of massive amounts of drugs into the United States?
It’s a pattern, isn’t it? Criminals often support other criminals. It’s never been more apparent. Let’s be clear: this individual, Hernandez, wasn’t accused. He was convicted and sentenced. The media needs to do a better job. The system is broken. The bribes, the donations, whatever you want to call them – it’s all working. Follow the money. Where is it going?
The fact is, a convicted criminal was pardoned by a former convicted criminal. Does this align with certain people’s beliefs? A little murder, a little drug addiction, is all forgiven when there’s money involved. It’s money, pure and simple. What does that say about our values? The former president’s actions are suspect, and many see this pardon as a personal favor, keeping a major supplier of cocaine, and by extension, Don Jr. happy. It’s almost a setup for future pardons.
The phrase “accusations” here feels wrong. There’s no nuance here. This wasn’t some flimsy rumor. This man was heading to prison for a very good reason. His actions, from the bribery to the facilitating of drug trafficking and the murders, are undeniable. And he accepted the pardon, which itself is an admission of guilt. This is an admission that he did indeed do all the awful things he was convicted of. The entire system is being undermined. And when such a corrupt individual gets a pass, you can’t help but be cynical. Especially when the very premise of the military actions are to combat drug trafficking, yet he’s pardoning traffickers. It’s all a farce, and it’s a symptom of deeper problems within the system.
And the bottom line is that the checks and balances we rely on may be broken, or perhaps they never worked in the first place. The people who wrote the Constitution put faith in the American people, and they never could have imagined a leader like Trump, someone who would go as far as he did.