Key facts
- A Honduran court dropped fraud and money laundering charges against former President Juan Orlando Hernandez.
- The court cited insufficient evidence regarding budgetary decisions and campaign funding.
- Hernandez was previously convicted in the U.S. on drug trafficking charges and sentenced to 45 years.
- U.S. President Donald Trump pardoned Hernandez late last year.
- Charges were also dropped against former President Porfirio Lobo and ex-finance minister Wilfredo Cerrato.
A Honduran court has dismissed fraud and money laundering charges against former President Juan Orlando Hernandez, a decision announced by judiciary spokesperson Carlos Silva. The court determined that Hernandez was not responsible for the budgetary decisions related to the alleged crimes and could not confirm that embezzled funds were used for his 2013 presidential campaign. Hernandez, who has consistently maintained his innocence, declared the "chapter of political persecution" closed. He had been extradited to the U.S. in 2022 on drug trafficking charges, subsequently convicted, and sentenced to 45 years in prison, but received a pardon from U.S. President Donald Trump late last year. Trump's pardon, issued shortly before Honduras' presidential election, was widely interpreted as an attempt to influence the outcome. The charges in Honduras were part of the Pandora II corruption investigation, which accused Hernandez and other officials of diverting nearly $11 million in state funds between 2010 and 2013. Similar charges have also been dropped against other former officials, including ex-President Porfirio Lobo and ex-finance minister Wilfredo Cerrato.