Foto Prensa América
The Venezuelan banker Julio M. Herrera Velutini officially notified a federal court in the United States that he has received a second presidential pardon granted by Donald Trump. This time, it is related to a lesser charge he plead guilty to in August 2025 for providing financial support to the campaign of then-Puerto Rico Governor Wanda Vázquez Garced.
The defense has requested for the case to be definitively dismissed, similar to what happened with Vázquez Garced and former FBI agent Mark Rossini, who were co-defendants in the alleged public corruption scheme and also received presidential pardons.
“Through his attorney, he hereby acknowledges receipt and accepts the total and unconditional pardon granted by the President of the United States on January 20, 2026… Consequently, all pending charges before this Court must be dismissed with prejudice,” states the motion presented to the court.
Now it falls to federal judge Silvia Carreño Coll, who is in charge of the case, to issue the formal notification that will conclude the judicial action and cancel the sentencing hearing scheduled for January 29.
A deal with the prosecution that reduced serious charges
Herrera Velutini, Vázquez Garced, and Rossini had agreed to plead guilty to a lesser offense related to an illegal campaign contribution by a foreign citizen under the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA).
In exchange, the federal prosecution dropped the original more severe charges, which included conspiracy, bribery, and wire fraud.
According to the initial indictment, Herrera Velutini and Rossini offered money and political support to Vázquez Garced’s campaign during the 2020 New Progressive Party primaries in exchange for the dismissal of George Joyner, who was then the commissioner of the Office of the Commissioner of Financial Institutions (OCIF).
Joyner was investigating alleged non-compliance in the reporting of suspicious activity reports (SARs) linked to Bancrédito International Bank, an institution associated with the Venezuelan banker.
Vázquez Garced effectively removed Joyner shortly after receiving the financial support offer, as outlined by prosecutors.
Second scheme with contributions linked to Pierluisi
Herrera Velutini was also implicated in a second scheme where he allegedly tried to hinder an OCIF investigation by contributing to the campaign of former governor Pedro Pierluisi.
The first pardon granted by Trump absolved him from both schemes, while the second presidential pardon specifically covers his guilty plea for the lesser offense.
Request for bail refund
The banker’s lawyers also submitted a motion requesting the return of the secured bail of $1 million deposited in September 2022, arguing that the full and unconditional pardons issued on January 15 and 20 conclude the criminal proceedings.
“Given that Mr. Herrera has no other pending matters, the return of the bail, along with any accrued interest, is requested,” states the document signed by attorney Sonia Torres Pabón.
So far, Judge Carreño Coll has not publicly responded to the motion or formally dismissed the case, although the prosecution has already requested closure following the acceptance of the pardons by the defendants.
The case against Herrera Velutini, Vázquez Garced, and Rossini dates back to August 2022 when a grand jury issued an indictment on seven charges related to an alleged political bribery scheme tied to illegal campaign contributions and regulatory oversight of Bancrédito.