Anadolu staff
08 May 2026•Update: 08 May 2026
Leaked audio recordings published as part of the so-called “Hondurasgate” scandal have alleged that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu played a role in securing the release of former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez and backed broader efforts to undermine progressive governments in Latin America.
The recordings, published by Diario Red en America Latina and the Hondurasgate website, allegedly reveal coordination between Hernandez, allies of US President Donald Trump, Argentine President Javier Milei and figures linked to Israel to establish a digital media platform aimed at spreading disinformation against the governments of Mexico, Brazil and Colombia.
According to the reports, the project sought to target the administrations of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Colombian President Gustavo Petro.
One leaked conversation allegedly features Hernandez discussing plans with current Honduran President Nasry Asfura to establish a US-based “information cell” that would operate a Latin American news platform beyond the reach of Honduran authorities.
The former Honduran leader allegedly claimed the initiative had support from Republicans close to Trump and financial backing from Milei.
“We’re going to set up a cell from the United States,” Hernandez allegedly said in one recording. “There are cases coming up against Mexico, against Colombia and especially against Honduras.”
The allegations gained further attention after recordings claimed Netanyahu had “everything to do” with negotiations surrounding Hernandez’s release from prison.
Hernandez, commonly known as JOH, was sentenced in New York in 2024 to 45 years in prison on drug trafficking charges after US prosecutors accused him of helping move hundreds of tons of cocaine into the United States.
According to the leaked recordings, Trump’s decision to pardon Hernandez before elections in Honduras was allegedly tied to a broader geopolitical arrangement involving pro-Israel networks.
“The pardon money didn’t even come from you,” Hernandez allegedly says in one recording. “It came from a group of rabbis and people who supported Israel.”
The recordings further claim that Israeli-linked actors viewed Hernandez as a strategic ally in efforts to counter left-wing influence in Latin America.
The leaked audio files were reportedly obtained from WhatsApp, Signal and Telegram conversations recorded between January and April 2026. Hondurasgate said the recordings were analyzed using forensic voice authentication software developed by Czech-based company Phonexia.
Mexico’s Sheinbaum said this week that she had listened to parts of the recordings and dismissed the alleged campaign against her government.
“They can set up a smear campaign office against our government in Honduras,” she said during a press conference. “It won’t affect us.”
The controversy comes amid growing tensions between Washington and several Latin American governments over drug trafficking, regional influence and foreign policy alignment.
