The Justice of Honduras has agreed to the definitive dismissal of the process opened against former president Juan Orlando Hernández in the known case 'Pandora II'. The former president was charged with alleged fraud and money laundering, but the case has been completely archived.
Carlos Silva, spokesperson for the Supreme Court of Justice, explained that "after assessing the crimes of money laundering and fraud, the judge determined that there was no traceability of the money for the political campaign and issued the definitive dismissal." He also added that "the measures are rendered without value and effect and the letter of freedom is delivered."
The Prosecutor's Office maintained that the former head of state — pardoned in the United States after being sentenced to 45 years in prison for drug trafficking — would have diverted 10.8 million dollars (about 9.3 million euros) between 2010 and 2013 to finance his electoral campaign, a stage in which he served as president of the Parliament of Honduras.
For its part, the defense had claimed the "absolute nullity" of the procedure, arguing that "the investigations dated back to about ten years ago, while Hernández was in the country (Honduras)," but that "the criminal action was presented when he was in the United States causing a condition of defenselessness."
After the judicial decision was made known, the Honduran politician has declared himself "grateful." The former president returned to Honduras last July, after being extradited in 2022 to the United States to be tried for drug trafficking, although the imposed sentence was ultimately pardoned in December 2025 by the U.S. president, Donald Trump.
"I want to thank my defense team, my family, and all those who were praying for this process. When we analyzed with the defense team, of course we saw this result because there was no basis and that is why the ruling is clear," he stated, according to the newspaper 'El Heraldo'.
"Today this episode of political persecution closes, but I must say that I am hurt by what my family has suffered. They insisted on leaving my family on the street, seeing the level of contempt from those who had to take care of the assets, but it was total vandalism," added the former president, referring to the personal and property consequences of the case.