WASHINGTON — On Tuesday, President Donald Trump revealed that he granted a pardon to Ross Ulbricht, the individual behind Silk Road, an illicit online platform commonly associated with drug sales.

Ulbricht had received a life sentence in 2015, following a widely publicized trial that underscored the internet’s involvement in facilitating illegal activities.

In a post shared on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump mentioned a conversation he had with Ulbricht’s mother shortly after beginning his presidency.

“It was my pleasure to have just signed a full and unconditional pardon of her son, Ross,” he stated. “The scoundrels who worked to convict him were some of the same individuals involved in the modern weaponization of government against me.”

Trump expressed that he found Ulbricht’s prison term to be “ridiculous.”

The former president had previously assured his support for Ulbricht during his address at the Libertarian Party National Convention held in May.

Libertarian supporters, who typically contest punitive drug policies, have consistently argued that government authorities overstepped their bounds in constructing their case against Silk Road. Many of these activists displayed signs advocating for Ulbricht’s release.

“Ross Ulbricht has been a libertarian political prisoner for more than a decade,” said Angela McArdle, Chair of the Libertarian National Committee. “I’m proud to say that saving his life has been one of our top priorities, and our efforts have finally borne fruit.”

Since the onset of his second term, Trump has been actively exercising his pardon authority. Just a day before announcing Ulbricht’s pardon, he cleared the records of approximately 1,500 individuals who were involved in the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

This move, which also included those convicted of assaulting law enforcement, significantly disrupted the Justice Department’s extensive investigation of the events surrounding the Capitol attack.