In a significant exercise of executive power, former and now again President Donald Trump granted clemency to 21 individuals this week, issuing 13 full pardons and eight sentence commutations on Thursday, 15 January 2026.
A Controversial Second Chance for a Florida Fraudster
The most notable pardon was awarded to Adriana Camberos, a Florida woman whose legal saga has now been twice impacted by Trump's intervention. Her case underscores the controversial nature of these clemency grants. Camberos first received Trump's favour in 2021, just before he left office, when he commuted her prison sentence for a fraud conviction related to counterfeit 5-Hour Energy drinks.
Prosecutors had detailed how she and accomplices diverted bottles meant for sale in Mexico, attached fake labels, filled them with a bogus liquid, and sold them within the United States. However, her legal troubles were not over. In 2024, Camberos and her brother, Andres, were convicted in a separate, sophisticated fraud scheme.
This second case involved deceiving manufacturers by falsely claiming wholesale groceries and other items were destined for Mexico, prisons, or rehabilitation facilities to secure massive discounts. The siblings then profited by selling the products at higher prices to distributors in the US.
High-Profile Names Among the Pardoned
The list of those receiving clemency extends beyond Camberos, featuring several prominent figures. Among them is Wanda Vázquez, the former governor of Puerto Rico, who had pleaded guilty to a campaign finance violation. Also pardoned was the father of a major donor to a pro-Trump super PAC, highlighting the political dimensions often associated with such decisions.
An additional pardon was announced on Friday for Terren Peizer, a dual resident of Puerto Rico and California who previously led the Miami-based healthcare firm Ontrak. Peizer had been convicted and sentenced to 42 months in prison and fined $5.25 million for an insider trading scheme. The US Justice Department stated his actions were aimed at avoiding losses exceeding $12.5 million.
Eroding Guardrails in Trump's Second Term
This flurry of activity forms part of a broader pattern during the first year of Trump's second term. The administration has targeted numerous criminal cases once vigorously pursued by federal prosecutors for clemency. These moves coincide with a wider effort that critics argue is designed to weaken public integrity safeguards.
A pivotal moment in this campaign was the firing of the Justice Department's pardon attorney, a key non-partisan role intended to provide rigorous, merit-based review of clemency petitions. This action has centralised the power to grant mercy more firmly within the political sphere of the White House.
The latest batch of pardons and commutations raises profound questions about the use of presidential power, the message it sends regarding accountability for white-collar crime, and the ongoing transformation of long-standing norms within the US justice system.
