Trump Pardons Convicted Cocaine Trafficker Amid Escalating Tensions With Venezuela

Trump Launches “War on Drugs” Against Venezuela, Pardons Convicted Honduran Cocaine Trafficker

US President Donald Trump has announced a formal “war on drugs” targeting Venezuela, declaring a broad military and diplomatic effort against illicit drug networks allegedly linked to President Nicolás Maduro’s government.

On November 29, Trump ordered the US to classify the Venezuelan cartel, Cartel of the Suns, as a foreign terrorist organisation. The administration authorised strikes on suspected drug-trafficking vessels, deployed Marines to the Caribbean, and sent warships to prevent cocaine from entering the United States.

In a controversial move, Trump also granted a “full and complete pardon” to former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez. Hernandez, extradited to the US in 2022, had been sentenced to 45 years in prison in 2024 for aiding the smuggling of hundreds of tons of cocaine from Honduras to the United States.

Trump announced the pardon via a social media post endorsing Hernandez’s party nominee, Nasry Asfura, ahead of Honduras’ presidential election. Citing “many people that I greatly respect,” Trump said Hernandez had been “treated very harshly and unfairly.”

The decision drew widespread criticism. Prosecutors highlighted Hernandez’s misuse of power, ties to criminal networks, and the “unfathomable destruction” caused by cocaine trafficking, urging the court to ensure he remained in prison.

Virginia Senator Tim Kaine called the pardon “unconscionable,” arguing that it undermines the credibility of the US approach to combating illegal narcotics.