Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, who was convicted in the United States on drug trafficking and related weapons charges before receiving a presidential pardon from President Donald Trump last year, announced Sunday that he will return to Honduras on July 26, where he is expected to face fraud and money laundering proceedings.
"We'll see each other again! The time to return home has come!" Hernández wrote on X, adding that he would arrive at 9 a.m. local time. "I can't... I really can't deny the deep emotion and joy I feel in my heart for returning home."
¡VOLVEREMOS A VERNOS! ¡EL MOMENTO DE VOLVER A CASA HA LLEGADO! 🇭🇳
— Juan Orlando Hernández (@JuanOrlandoH) July 5, 2026
Primero Dios, este próximo domingo 26 de julio a las 9:00 AM estaré de regreso en nuestra tierra.
No puedo... de verdad no puedo negarles la profunda emoción y la alegría que siento en el corazón por volver a… pic.twitter.com/OgPr8dUa7M
His announcement came after a Honduran judge temporarily suspended an arrest warrant and an Interpol Red Notice against him, allowing him to voluntarily appear before a court, as EFE reports.
Hernández is scheduled to attend a preliminary hearing on August 3 in a case alleging fraud and money laundering linked to the diversion of public funds to finance his 2013 presidential campaign. The case, known as Pandora II, also involves former President Porfirio Lobo and several former lawmakers, businesspeople and private individuals.
Prosecutors allege a corruption network diverted more than 288 million lempiras (about $10.8 million) between 2010 and 2013.
Hernández, who served as Honduras' president from 2014 to 2022, was arrested in Tegucigalpa weeks after leaving office, extradited to the United States in 2022 and sentenced in June 2024 to 45 years in prison after a New York jury convicted him of facilitating large-scale cocaine trafficking. In December 2025, Trump granted him a pardon, arguing the prosecution had been politically motivated.
In his social media post, Hernández reflected on his imprisonment, writing: "It wasn't easy. The process has been extremely tough... and what I experienced in prison, really, I wouldn't wish on anyone." He added that his experience reinforced his faith, saying, "God never, but never leaves us alone."
Before announcing his return, Hernández had said he feared going back to Honduras because of alleged threats against him and his family, citing what he described as an FBI report indicating a bounty had been placed on his life.
Since his pardon, Hernández has denied making any promises to Trump in exchange for clemency and rejected allegations linking him to an alleged international disinformation campaign targeting the governments of Mexico and Colombia, describing leaked audio recordings published in recent months as manipulated.
He has also said his immediate priority is reuniting with his family before considering any future political role.
