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** Pardons, Plea Deals, and Boat Strikes
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Parker Asmann, Senior Investigator in Mexico
5 DEC, 2025
As an organized crime investigator, I’ve covered many headline-grabbing stories. But none of them were as jaw-dropping as the arrest, extradition ([link removed]) , and drug trafficking conviction ([link removed]) of former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, a once staunch US ally who US prosecutors accused of turning his country into a “narco-state.”
That story took an unexpected turn this week. On December 1, Hernández walked free ([link removed]) from prison after serving less than two years of a 45-year sentence thanks to a presidential pardon from Donald Trump. The decision was remarkable on its own, but I found myself thinking more about what it said about the contradictions of the “war on drugs” in Latin America.
In this so-called “war,” not everyone is treated equally.
While the former Honduran president received amnesty for his involvement in cocaine trafficking, the president of Venezuela faces the threat of a US military invasion ([link removed]) over similar accusations.
Then there was the leader of the Chapitos faction of the Sinaloa Cartel, who was accused of flooding the United States with illicit fentanyl, but this week reached a plea agreement ([link removed]) with US prosecutors in hopes of a lighter sentence. Meanwhile, poor fishermen piloting suspected drug trafficking vessels continue to be killed by US drone strikes ([link removed]) without any due process.
US anti-drug policies in Latin America have long been complicated by the tensions between sound crime-fighting strategies and political considerations. But today, the multilateral security cooperation that has underpinned these efforts feels at risk of collapsing as internal contradictions undermine US counternarcotics credibility.
Be sure to follow along as we cover all of the ways in which the regional organized crime fight ([link removed]) continues to evolve.
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Take a closer look at the standout stories from Latin America and the Caribbean that crossed our desk this week:
OnTheRadar (#OnTheRadar) | Editor’s Pick (#Editors-pick) #Editors-pick | Don’t Miss (#Dont-Miss) | In the Spotlight (#In-The-Spotlight) | Audio (#Audio)
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#OnTheRadar ()
** This Week in Organized Crime ([link removed])
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◉ ([link removed]) [link removed] Cartel plea deal revives questions around El Mayo’s kidnapping. ([link removed])
◉ ([link removed]) Presidential pardon frees former Honduran president convicted of cocaine trafficking. ([link removed])
◉ ([link removed]) US President Donald Trump threatens further military strikes in Colombia. ([link removed])
Watch this Reel ([link removed])
#Editor’sPick ()
Investigations > ([link removed])
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** Special Series: The Rise and Fall of Honduras Ex-President Juan Orlando Hernández ([link removed])
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Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, often referred to by his initials JOH, is one of the only heads of state ever to be prosecuted and convicted for cocaine trafficking in the United States. But thanks to a presidential pardon, he’s now free.
In this special series, InSight Crime traces how JOH rose to power thanks to a series of criminal alliances and the evidence and events that led to his downfall, as well as what it has meant for criminal dynamics in Central America.
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< Criminal Profiles ([link removed])
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** In the Spotlight ()
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** Could Armed Groups Backed by Maduro Resist a US Invasion of Venezuela? ([link removed])
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As tensions between the United States and Venezuela grow, serious questions remain about the potential role government-backed criminal groups could play in the face of a US invasion.
** Colombian guerrilla groups like the National Liberation Army (ELN) and armed colectivos have taken on a variety of roles, from administering justice, to regulating social order, and acting as security forces in some regions.
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Find out more about the capacities, roles, and territorial presence of these non-state armed groups in a hypothetical scenario of US military intervention, and don’t miss our new investigation coming out next week on the ELN in Venezuela.
** Don’t Miss ()
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🔗 Ecuador’s Official Security Claims Belie Reality ([link removed])
🔗 Chapitos Plea Deal Raises More Questions on US Role in El Mayo’s Kidnapping … ([link removed])
🔗 The Drug Case Against the Former Honduras President Trump Wants to Pardon ([link removed])
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** #Audio () 25 NOV, 2025
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** Wild West of Honduras: Home to Narcos and Their Politicians ([link removed])
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How an already lawless region became even more violent.
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InSight Crime is sponsored by:
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The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency ([link removed])
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