Justice Dismisses and Brings the Herrera Velutini Case to a Close
MIAMI, Jan. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- After a legal process under intense public scrutiny, the case against Venezuelan-British banker Julio Herrera Velutini, co-defendant in the proceedings involving former Puerto Rico Governor Wanda Vázquez, has come to an end, according to MP Publishing. On January 27, Federal Judge Silvia L. Carreño dismissed the case in its entirety and ordered that judgment be entered in accordance with the closure of the file, after the co-defendants received and accepted the full and unconditional pardon granted one week earlier by President of the United States Donald J. Trump.
Chris Kise, lead counsel for the banker, stated that "Mr. Herrera Velutini is deeply grateful to President Donald J. Trump for granting him this pardon and looks forward to refocusing his attention on his career."
The case file, which began with criminal corruption allegations that the prosecution was unable to substantiate, was ultimately reduced to an infraction derived from federal campaign finance law. In 2025, the former governor and the co-defendants admitted before the court their responsibility for a lesser charge of improper political contribution under 52 U.S.C. § 30121, referring to an express or implicit promise of financial support that never materialized.
According to William J. Stellmach, another defense attorney, the presidential pardon nullifies that guilty plea for the minor offense and requires the dismissal of the previous charges, which had already been scheduled for dismissal and had never been proven. Legally, the case disappears. "In the eyes of the law, a beneficiary of a full and unconditional pardon is considered not to have committed a crime."
The case arose in the context of political endorsements during the 2020 presidential campaign, generating debate over the possible influence of external motivations in the process. A White House official told Fox News that "the investigation into Ms. Vázquez began ten days after she endorsed President Trump's candidacy. The pardon documents show that her prosecution was politically motivated."
For the defense team, this closes a process unnecessarily prolonged for nearly four years. Lily Ann Sánchez, a member of the defense team, emphasized that "Mr. Herrera Velutini greatly appreciates the benevolent gesture of President Donald J. Trump and now hopes to finally be able to devote quality time to his family."
SOURCE MP Publishing
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