Federal records consulted by ProPublica have revealed that after President Donald Trump pardoned former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández on December 1, prison officials moved to remove an immigration detainer that would normally transfer a noncitizen to federal immigration custody, then arranged overnight transport by a specialized tactical team from a high-security prison in West Virginia to a luxury hotel in Manhattan.
Hernández had been sentenced in June 2024 to 45 years in prison for cocaine importation and related weapons offenses after a federal jury convicted him in Manhattan. At the time, Attorney General Merrick Garland said Hernández "abused his power" and helped facilitate trafficking of more than 400 tons of cocaine bound for the United States.
