President Donald Trump’s latest round of pardons on January 16, 2026, has drawn attention for including a woman whose sentence he had previously commuted, highlighting ongoing controversies over his use of clemency power. The White House announced pardons for Adriana Camberos and her brother, Andres, erasing their 2024 convictions related to a fraudulent scheme involving the resale of wholesale goods.
This marks the second time Trump has intervened in Camberos’s legal troubles; in 2021, he commuted her sentence for an unrelated fraud conviction involving counterfeit energy drinks. The White House official argued that the family was unfairly targeted by the Biden administration due to political motivations, claiming the prosecution was retaliatory. Camberos’s attorney expressed gratitude, stating she was wrongfully convicted and is now home, while White House Pardon Czar Alice Marie Johnson noted that Trump extended mercy to 21 individuals, with nine immediately released.
In addition to the Camberos pardon, Trump plans to grant clemency to former Puerto Rico Governor Wanda Vázquez, who pleaded guilty in August to a campaign finance violation. Vázquez was accused of participating in a bribery scheme from December 2019 to June 2020, where she allegedly agreed to dismiss Puerto Rico’s top bank regulator in exchange for campaign funding from Venezuelan banker Julio Herrera Velutini and former FBI agent Mark Rossini. The White House official contended that the investigation into Vázquez began just ten days after she endorsed Trump in 2020, suggesting it was politically driven.
Vázquez’s case involved her demanding the resignation of the commissioner in February 2020 after the alleged bribe offer, and appointing a new commissioner favorable to Herrera’s bank in May 2020. She was the first former governor of Puerto Rico to face federal charges and pleaded guilty to accepting a promise of a campaign contribution that was never received. Her sentencing was scheduled for later in January 2026, with prosecutors seeking a year in prison, but the pardon will likely nullify that, according to the PBS report.
The pardons are part of a broader slate of clemency actions by Trump, who has issued numerous pardons during his presidency, often for allies or individuals with political connections. This pattern has raised concerns about the potential for abuse of the pardon power and its impact on the justice system, with critics arguing it undermines public integrity and faith in governance.
Reactions to the pardons have been mixed, with some condemning them as fostering corruption. Pablo José Hernández, Puerto Rico’s congressional representative, criticized the pardon for Vázquez, calling it an affront to honest governance and a blow to those who believe in justice. The move has sparked debate over the appropriateness of pardoning figures involved in corruption cases, especially when tied to political endorsements and timing.
Looking ahead, these pardons may influence Trump’s legacy and the ongoing discussions about presidential clemency, with implications for future administrations. They highlight the complex interplay between politics and justice in the U.S., continuing to be a contentious issue as Trump exercises his executive powers.
