Honduras’ former President Juan Orlando Hernández thanked US President Donald Trump for pardoning his US drug trafficking conviction amid criticism from lawmakers that the pardon undermines the White House’s efforts to stop drug trafficking.

“My profound gratitude goes to President (Trump) for having the courage to defend justice at a moment when a weaponized system refused to acknowledge the truth,” Hernández wrote on X Wednesday.

President of Honduras from 2014 until 2022, Hernández was convicted and sentenced last year to 45 years in prison and given an $8 million fine by a US judge for drug trafficking offenses. Hernández insisted he was innocent, claiming his trial was “rigged” and that it relied on the accusations of criminals who sought revenge against him.

Both Republican and Democratic members of Congress have criticized Trump’s decision to pardon someone with a drug trafficking conviction when his administration has been so focused on disrupting drug trafficking in Latin America, ramping up military activity and launching controversial strikes on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean.

Several lawmakers have pointed out the inconsistency in pardoning Hernández while going after Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who is wanted in the US for similar charges.

“Why would we pardon this guy and then go after Maduro for running drugs into the United States? Lock up every drug runner! Don’t understand why he is being pardoned,” GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy posted on X.

GOP Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar told CNN she felt Trump’s announcement sent a mixed message and she “would have never done that.”

Trump, however, defended his decision to grant Hernández clemency, telling reporters Tuesday that he feels “pretty good about it.”

“Well, he was the president, and they had some drugs being sold in their country, and because he was the president, they went after him – that was a Biden horrible witch hunt,” Trump said. “A lot of people in Honduras asked me to do that, and I did it.”

Prosecutors had accused Hernández of conspiring with drug cartels during his tenure as they moved more than 400 tons of cocaine through Honduras toward the United States. In exchange, prosecutors said, Hernández received millions of dollars in bribes that he used to fuel his rise in Honduran politics.

Several people in Trump’s orbit lobbied for Hernández’s pardon, including his longtime ally Roger Stone. Stone said he called on Trump in June to pardon Hernández, claiming the former Honduran leader was targeted by the Biden administration.

Though the White House is blaming Biden for targeting Hernández, Hernández’s brother was prosecuted during Trump’s first term by Emil Bove, who went on to become Trump’s personal attorney.

Hernández has now been released from prison, according to his attorney. A US Bureau of Prisons database also shows that the former Honduran president was released from a prison in West Virginia.

In his social media post Wednesday, Hernández promised the people of Honduras that he would “continue defending everything we built together,” but didn’t say whether he has any plans to return to the country.

He added that he would share more “soon.” (CNN)