THOMPSON: Trump hands convicted drug trafficker ‘get-out-of-jail’ free card

Who is Juan Orlando Hernandez? Most people might guess. Maybe he played Major League Baseball? Wrong guy. An Hernandez pitched for the New York Yankees 25 years ago…but Juan wasn’t his first name.

Besides, the guy I’m talking about made more money than most MLB players. Juan was the president of Honduras for eight years…from 2014 to 2022. After leaving office, he was extradited to the United States, and in 2024 convicted of conspiring to import cocaine into the United States.

Juan’s prosecution started when he was still president of Honduras…which corresponds to President Trump’s first term…ending with his conviction during President Biden’s presidency.

Juan Orlando Hernandez and Donald J. Trump have a lot in common…they both made a lot of money while serving as presidents. Juan took bribes during his campaign from Joaquín Guzmán – “El Chapo” – the leader of the Sinaloa cartel in Mexico. Trump cut a few billion-dollar deals with the Saudis…and god knows who else.

Juan’s brother, a former member of the Honduran National Congress, was arrested in Miami in 2018 for 12 years of drug trafficking while in government. He was convicted in October 2019, and sentenced in March of 2021 to life in prison, plus 30 years on cocaine-importation, weapons violations and perjury. Emil Bove, a prosecutor for the Southern District of New York and later one of Trump’s personal lawyers, prosecuted that case.

Juan was sentenced to 45 years in prison just last year by Senior Judge P. Kevin Castel of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, a George W. Bush appointee. Juan served less than a year. Why?

President Donald J. Trump gave Juan a full and complete pardon the day after Thanksgiving…when he pardoned “Gobble” and “Waddle”…two real turkeys.

If you’re thinking…isn’t Donald Trump – the guy who pardoned a cocaine trafficking felon – the guy who directed the U.S. military to blow up 21 alleged drug-trafficking  boats in the Caribbean…killing 82 people in the past two months? Those numbers are likely higher now…it has been another week.

Yeah, it’s a head-scratcher. So, Trump pardons rich, conservative foreigners who had their day in court and were convicted…but he orders the military to kill all the people on fast boats in the Caribbean…without any evidence or a single day in court. Yeah, that sounds like Trump and MAGA Republicans.

There’s so much wrong with this. Some facts. Juan illegally imported 800-million pounds of cocaine into the United States. He made tens of millions of dollars doing that. That cocaine addicted and killed untold numbers of U.S. citizens.

Some more facts. Never mind that virtually all legal scholars agree that the president doesn’t have the unilateral authority to launch attacks in international waters without an authorization from Congress.

Not a single bit of evidence has been offered by the Trump folks that these 21 drug-trafficking fast boats and 82 “narco-terrorists” killed by U.S. military were guilty of trafficking drugs. Kill all the witnesses and destroy all the boats…no evidence, no crime? Very mob-like.

Of course, everyone in the Trump Administration that talks to the news media…lies…not little white ones…I’m talking big-ass lies. But for just plain out-of-your-mind silliness, it’s hard to beat the boss…Donald J. Trump.

“I don’t think we’re necessarily going to ask for a declaration of war. I think we’re just gonna kill people that are bringing drugs into our country. We’re going to kill them. They’re going to be, like, dead.” Actual comments by a president in the Oval Office. 

On Sept. 2, a follow-up attack was ordered by Sec. of Defense Pete Hegseth on two survivors clinging to a boat hull destroyed by an initial attack that killed nine people. Admiral Frank M. Bradley, who at the time headed the Joint Special Operations Command, gave the order for the second attack…after Hegseth – who was watching as it happened – said, “Kill everyone.”

Does Pete Hegseth think he’s in a movie? Like so many in the Trump cult…is he just that stupid? Remember, this mysoginistic party boy had to promise to quit drinking…just to get Congressional approval for his job. For Pete’s sake.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said, “Admiral Bradley worked well within his authority and the law directing the engagement to ensure the boat was destroyed and the threat to the United States of America was eliminated.” Threat to the U.S.? It’s hard to keep a straight face.

The truth is…Donald Trump and his cadre of appointed idiots have destroyed all evidence in 21 military attacks…that killed 82 people.

Meanwhile, Juan Orlando Hernandez has a “get-out-of-jail-free” card from Trump. He can walk along any street in America. He can ride in any fast boat in the Caribbean. I assure you…nothing bad will happen to Juan.

It’s almost like someone, somewhere – beyond Juan – somehow benefited…don’t you wonder who?