Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, second from right, is taken in handcuffs to a waiting aircraft as he is extradited to the United States, at an Air Force base in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, on April 21, 2022. (AP Photo/Elmer Martinez)
Hernández portrayed himself as a hero of the anti-drug trafficking movement who teamed up with American authorities under three U.S. presidential administrations to reduce drug imports, according to The Associated Press. But the judge said trial evidence proved the opposite and that Hernández employed "considerable acting skills" to make it seem that he was an anti-drug trafficking crusader while he deployed his nation’s police and military, when necessary, to protect the drug trade.
His release comes as the Central American country, which has a population of around 11 million people, awaits the results of its razor-thin presidential election race.
Trump has publicly favored Nasry Asfura, the candidate from Hernández’s conservative National Party of Honduras (PNH).
Overnight, Trump accused Honduras of "trying to change the results."
Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández was released from prison on Monday. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
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Just before the freeze, Trump had endorsed Asfura, calling him the only Honduran candidate his administration would work with and saying he would fight "narco-communists" alongside the U.S.
Trump’s latest warning injects new pressure into an already hostile post-election environment. The outcome will determine whether the Latin American country shifts away from the ruling LIBRE Party, and it will have a deep impact on its future relationship with Washington.
The winner will govern from 2026 to 2030.
Fox News’ Bradford Betz and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Michael Dorgan is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business.
You can send tips to michael.dorgan@fox.com and follow him on Twitter @M_Dorgan.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/former-honduran-president-released-from-us-prison-after-trump-pardon