Last year, when Joe Biden was president, Hernandez was sentenced to 45 years in prison for cocaine importation and related weapons offenses. The former president was found to have accepted millions of dollars in bribes.
Ahead of the November 30 presidential election in Honduras, Trump said on social media that he would grant “a full and complete pardon” to Hernandez. He also indicated support for a candidate from the opposition National Party, which is the party that the former president belongs to.
The website of the Federal Bureau of Prisons indicates that Hernandez was released from a prison in the state of West Virginia on Monday.
The New York Times has quoted Trump as telling reporters that “the people of Honduras really thought he was set up.” He reportedly added that “they said it was a Biden administration setup.”
Trump’s pardon of Hernandez is stirring controversy, as it comes against the backdrop of the US administration’s increasing military pressure on Venezuela. The administration says the measures are being taken in response to an influx of drugs into the US.
