America is in turmoil: “Netanyahu worked to free a serious drug offender”

Did Prime Minister Netanyahu actively work to work for the release of a leader in Latin America who was convicted of accepting bribes from a brutal drug cartel? This seems to be the case with a series of unusual publications in recent days in Latin American countries. The publications show recordings in which it is explicitly heard that Netanyahu supported the release of the former Honduran president, in what has been dubbed the dubious “Honduras-gate affair”.

The affair allegedly reveals, through a series of audio recordings leaked by media outlets associated with the left in Latin America, an unusual picture of an alleged international political alliance between the President of the United States Donald Trump, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Argentine President Javier Millay and former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez.

According to the recordings, which were not independently verified by N12, the four were part of a broad political axis designed to return Hernandez to power in Honduras, strengthen American-Israeli influence in Central America, harm left-wing governments in Latin America, and create in Honduras a strategic center of military, economic and media interests.

The affair revolves around Hernandez, the president of Honduras in 2014-2022, who was sentenced in 2024 in a federal court in the United States to 45 years in prison for involvement in smuggling tons of cocaine to the United States. Prosecutors in New York described Honduras as a “drug state” during his trial, and Hernandez himself was accused of receiving millions of dollars from drug cartels, including Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzmán, in exchange for political and legal protection.

However, in December 2025, in a manner that caused an uproar, Trump granted Hernandez a full pardon and released him from prison. Trump then claimed that it was political persecution and injustice. Now, according to the series of recordings released by media outlets in Latin America, the amnesty was not just a political gesture, but part of a much broader deal.

The last Honduran presidential election held on November 30 was at the center of the whole story. The election campaign was accompanied by allegations of irregularities, delays of weeks in the publication of the results, dirty campaigns and direct American intervention.

A day before the election, Trump announced on social media that he would grant a pardon to Hernandez, and in the same announcement he also expressed public support for the center-right National Party candidate Nasri Espora. Trump even threatened to cut aid to Honduras if Espora did not win the election.

After weeks of waiting, Espora was declared the winner with 40.27% of the votes, even before the final count was completed. Officials in the election system and members of Xiomara Castro’s outgoing government from the left claimed serious irregularities. The United States also restricted the visas of judges and officials who demanded a recount.

Trump threatens the electoral process in Honduras while the votes are being counted

The now released recordings show Espora as a non-independent leader, intended to serve as a transitional figure in order to restore Hernandez to power. In one of the voice messages, Hernandez is heard pressing Espora directly.

“I want to believe that you are not going to push me aside, because thanks to me you are sitting in this chair. Mr. President, it will be me. And I expect your support. Because this is what we agreed with President Trump,” Hernandez was heard in the message. According to the recordings, Espora was supposed to serve as interim president only, until Hernandez could run again for the presidency after removing all legal obstacles against him.

Trump threatens to stop support for Honduras if Espora does not win the election

One of the most prominent and sensitive parts of the case is the direct connection that appears between the Israeli government and Netanyahu and the pardon of Hernandez and the move to restore him to power.

In the recordings, Hernandez is heard saying explicitly: “The Prime Minister of Israel had a lot to do with this. In fact, they had everything to do with the negotiations and my release.”

In another recording, Hernandez is heard saying: “The money for the amnesty didn’t even come from you. It came from the Council of Rabbis and people who supported Israel.”

According to the publications related to the “Honduras-gate affair”, not only the amnesty itself was allegedly linked to Israeli factors, but also the financing of Hernandez’s return operation to Honduras and his future political campaign.

Hernandez is also heard saying in the recordings: “The Prime Minister of Israel is going to support us. We are very grateful to him.”

In addition, it is claimed that Israeli businessmen and supporters were involved in transferring money and exerting political pressure in the United States. In one of the messages sent to Congress Speaker Thomas Zambrano, Hernandez was heard saying: “I sent you people from Israel, they sent you money. I do the lobbying here.”

According to the publications, as part of the understanding between Trump, Netanyahu and Hernandez, Honduras was supposed to become a regional focus of American and Israeli interests in exchange for involvement in his release from prison in the USA.

The recordings apparently show a broad political and economic deal. In exchange for amnesty and assistance in returning Hernandez to power, Honduras was supposed to grant the United States and Israel a series of strategic achievements:

• Expansion of the ZEDE areas, also known as “private states” (employment and economic development areas, which in Honduras are granted broad autonomy from the government and aim to attract foreign economic investment).
• Establishment of a new American military base.
• free trade agreement
• Legislation that will serve investments by artificial intelligence companies from the US and Israel.
• Economic and infrastructural projects that will be transferred to American companies.

ZEDE zones are considered one of the most controversial issues in Honduras. These are areas with wide autonomy, where labor laws, the minimum wage and environmental protections do not normally apply.

The affair does not focus only on Honduras. According to the recordings, Hernandez, Trump, Netanyahu and Argentine President Millay sought to build a regional right-wing axis that would work against left-wing governments in Latin America.

In the recordings, it is claimed that Millay was a partner in financing media activities against the governments of Gustavo Petro in Colombia and Claudia Scheinbaum in Mexico. In one of the messages, Hernandez was heard saying: “I spoke with President Javier Millay, and it went great, very, very well. I think at this point we can do great things for all of Latin America.”

In another recording, Hernandez is heard saying: “With the support of some Republicans to attack and uproot the left-wing cancer from Honduras and all of Latin America. We talked to Javier Millay and he is also donating $350,000.”

According to the publications, one of the goals was to establish a media body in the United States that would conduct political attacks against left-wing governments in the region.

According to the recordings, at the same time as the operation to return Hernandez to power, heavy pressure was exerted on the state institutions in Honduras. Hernandez was heard giving direct instructions to Congress Speaker Sambarano on how to remove political opponents and eliminate the legal proceedings against him.

“You have to take back all the power. And you’re going to do it because the president (Espora) won’t do it,” says Hernandez. He later added: “The president is busy traveling and making friends. I’m the one sending the aid. I sent you people from Israel, they sent you money.”

On April 16, the Congress in Honduras voted by a majority of 88 votes in favor of impeaching senior officials in the electoral system and the electoral tribunal. A few weeks earlier, Attorney General Joel Zelaya was also dismissed and Supreme Court President Rebecca Raquel Obando was forced to resign.

According to the publications, this was a “legal warfare” operation designed to eliminate Hernandez’s opponents through the legal system itself. In one of the most extreme recordings, Hernandez is heard saying: “In Honduras you need power, you need logistics, you need blood. If you want to control the people, you have to oppress them. Respond to violence with violence.” Later he even mentioned the Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar, and was heard saying: “That’s what Pablo Escobar said.”

At the end of one of the recordings, Hernandez is heard confidently declaring: “Juan Orlando is coming back soon. Excellent news, Juan Orlando is returning to the presidency. Remember that.”

The Prime Minister’s Office responded: “Absolute fake news. The descriptions of the involvement of the State of Israel and Prime Minister Netanyahu are out of the blue.”