New Delhi, Dec. 3 -- Former Honduras President Juan Orlando Hernandez, sentenced last year to 45 years in prison for his role in a drug trafficking operation that moved hundreds of tons of cocaine to the United States, was released from prison following a pardon from President Donald Trump, officials confirmed Tuesday.

Hernandez was released Monday from U.S. Penitentiary Hazelton in West Virginia, a spokesperson for the Federal Bureau of Prisons told The Associated Press. The bureau's online inmate records also reflected his release.

The release of Hernandez - a former U.S. ally whose conviction prosecutors said exposed the depth of cartel influence in Honduras - comes just days after the country's presidential election. Trump defended ...