SBF lashes out from prison at Western media double standards: Maduro's arrest is illegal, but Honduras JOH's arrest remains silent?
FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF), who is still serving time, voiced his opinions on the X platform, titled “A tale of two Presidents,” sharply criticizing Western liberal media for double standards regarding Venezuelan President Maduro and former Honduran President JOH, sparking heated discussion in the international political circle.
(Previous context: Market complaints about CZ, people are starting to miss SBF)
(Additional background: SBF reveals in prison: I privately donated millions of dollars to the Republican Party, and then I was arrested!)
Today (6th), still incarcerated, FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) posted a series of messages on his proxy account @SBF_FTX on the X platform, forming a thread titled “A tale of two Presidents.”
[SBF says:]
- A tale of two Presidents pic.twitter.com/8WIhK6mlJh
— SBF (@SBF_FTX) January 6, 2026
In this post, SBF compares Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández (JOH). He points out that both came to power in “drug countries,” but their subsequent performances are vastly different: JOH cooperated with the U.S. to combat drug cartels, leading to a significant decrease in drug trafficking, and peacefully transferred power after his term; Maduro, on the other hand, collaborated with drug cartels, leading to a surge in drug trafficking, and refused to recognize election results, becoming a dictator.
SBF then mentions that the U.S. arrested and extradited both leaders to the U.S. for trial—JOH was immediately arrested after his term ended, while Maduro was arrested after refusing to accept election results. However, the reactions of Western liberal media are very different: they heavily criticize Maduro’s arrest as “illegal,” but remain silent or supportive of JOH’s arrest; they call for Maduro’s release but do not speak out for JOH.
SBF emphasizes at the end that this is not about the rule of law, but about how liberal media, opposed to Trump, support “drug dictator” Maduro, while opposing Trump’s pardon of JOH. He bluntly states: “Don’t believe their bullshit, this is not about the rule of law.”
SBF Posting Background
This series of posts is rooted in recent major international events. On January 3, 2026, U.S. special forces carried out an operation in Venezuela, arresting Maduro and transferring him to New York detention, with charges including drug terrorism conspiracy and cocaine importation, sparking international controversy. Conversely, JOH was previously sentenced to 45 years in prison by a U.S. court on similar drug charges but was fully pardoned and released by Trump in December 2025.
