Trump pardons California fraudster Adriana Camberos after commuting her sentence during first term
WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump pardoned a California woman who returned to prison on a new fraud conviction after receiving clemency from him during his first term. Adriana Camberos was among the 13 people granted full pardons and eight whose sentences were commuted on Friday, January 16.
The actions marked the latest round of executive clemency in Trump’s second term. The moves came amid debate over the scope of presidential pardon power, following the recent dismissal of the Justice Department’s pardon attorney and a surge in White House-directed interventions in criminal cases.
Commuted sentence before second fraud conviction
Adriana Camberos first received relief from Trump in January 2021, when her sentence was commuted near the end of his first presidency. That case stemmed from a scheme involving 5-Hour Energy drink bottles intended for resale in Mexico.
Prosecutors said Camberos and several co-conspirators instead diverted the products for sale in the United States.
To conceal the diversion, they attached counterfeit labels and filled bottles with a “phony liquid,” selling them to buyers who believed they were receiving legitimate inventory.
Siblings convicted of wholesale grocery scheme
Camberos later faced new charges. In 2024, she and her brother, Andres Camberos, were convicted in a separate wholesale fraud case.
Federal prosecutors said the siblings misrepresented their business plans to manufacturers in order to purchase groceries and other products at steep discounts, claiming the goods were destined for export to Mexico or for prisons and rehabilitation facilities.
Instead, authorities said, the products were resold at higher prices to US distributors. Andres Camberos was also included in Thursday’s pardon list.
Clemency for Wanda Vázquez and a major donor's father
Thursday’s clemency package extended beyond the Camberos siblings. Trump pardoned former Puerto Rico Governor Wanda Vázquez, who had pleaded guilty to a campaign finance violation.
The president also granted a pardon to the father of a major donor to his super PAC. The cases were previously cited by federal prosecutors as examples of high-profile public integrity enforcement.
Insider trader Terren Peizer pardoned
Another pardon followed on Friday for Terren Peizer, who split his time between Puerto Rico and California. Peizer, the former head of Miami-based healthcare company Ontrak, had been convicted of insider trading and sentenced to 42 months in prison.
The Justice Department said Peizer carried out trades to avoid more than $12.5 million in losses and was ordered to pay a $5.25 million fine.
