In recent days, President Donald Trump has delivered an extensive set of pardons and sentence commutations to various individuals involved in significant legal controversies. Notably, the list includes Adriana Camberos, whose sentence had already been commuted by Trump prior to the conclusion of his first term in 2021. Camberos was originally convicted for her participation in a scheme involving the diversion of 5-Hour Energy drink bottles, originally intended for resale in Mexico, which were instead kept within the United States. Prosecutors detailed how Camberos and several co-conspirators affixed counterfeit labels and filled those bottles with a liquid substitute before selling them.
Yet in 2024, Camberos, alongside her brother Andres, was found guilty in a separate case involving deceptive sales practices. They reportedly misled manufacturers by claiming wholesale groceries and other products were destined for sale in Mexico, prisons, or rehabilitation centers, which allowed them to acquire products at substantial discounts. Instead, they sold these goods at elevated prices to distributors within the U.S., according to federal prosecutors.
This sibling duo was part of 21 clemency actions announced over two days, including 13 pardons on Thursday and eight commutations. Among the individuals receiving pardons is Terren Peizer, formerly at the helm of the healthcare company Ontrak based in Miami. Peizer, who resides in Puerto Rico and California, had been sentenced to 42 months in prison and fined $5.25 million following his conviction for an insider trading scheme. The Justice Department stated Peizer engaged in insider trading activities that helped him avoid losses exceeding $12.5 million.
Trump’s issuance of pardons during the first year of his second term tends to focus on cases previously emphasized by federal prosecutors. These moves come amidst a broader campaign within the administration that some view as an attempt to weaken norms supporting public integrity, exemplified by the dismissal of the Justice Department’s pardon attorney.
Among other prominent pardons this week was former Puerto Rico Governor Wanda Vázquez. She had pleaded guilty last August to a federal campaign finance violation involving an arrangement that included a former FBI agent and a Venezuelan banker. Her sentencing was scheduled later in the month of the announcement. Prosecutors had sought a prison term of one year, a proposal her defense contested by arguing that prosecutors breached the plea agreement which had previously eliminated charges including bribery and fraud.
Vázquez’s plea concerned her accepting a promise for a campaign contribution that was ultimately not received. The case also implicated Julio Herrera Velutini, a banker whose daughter Isabela Herrera donated significant sums to Trump’s MAGA Inc. super PAC in 2024. Additionally, former FBI agent Mark Rossini, who was involved in the case, was also pardoned by Trump.
Previously, Trump had pardoned political figures spanning party lines who had been convicted of corruption-related offenses, such as former Democratic Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich and Republican ex-Connecticut Governor John Rowland, both of whom served time in federal prison. The recent clemency wave similarly included former U.S. Representative Michael Grimm, a Republican from New York known for resigning amid a tax fraud conviction, and the reality TV couple Todd and Julie Chrisley, convicted of bank fraud and tax evasion.
Another notable pardon was granted to Texas Democratic Representative Henry Cuellar, who faced charges related to bribery and conspiracy. However, Trump later expressed regret and frustration after Cuellar announced his intention to seek reelection without switching his party affiliation.