Court Jails Former Minister for 38 Years over Drug issues
This sentencing comes nearly 20 months after his conviction in U.S. federal court, marking a significant moment in the fight against corruption.
Genaro García Luna, Mexico’s former security minister, was sentenced to over 38 years in prison on Wednesday for colluding with the Sinaloa Cartel.
This sentencing comes nearly 20 months after his conviction in U.S. federal court, marking a significant moment in the fight against corruption.
At a hearing in Brooklyn, New York, District Judge Brian M. Cogan sentenced García Luna to 460 months of imprisonment and imposed a US $2 million fine.
The judge described his actions as “decade-long assistance to the Sinaloa Cartel in exchange for millions of dollars in bribes,” as stated in a press release from the United States Attorney’s Office, Los Angeles Times reports.
“Following a four-week trial in February 2023, Garcia Luna was convicted by a jury of engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise, international cocaine distribution conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine, conspiracy to import cocaine and making false statements,” the statement said.
García Luna, who served as security minister from 2006 to 2012 under former president Felipe Calderón, previously directed the now-defunct Federal Investigation Agency.
His arrest occurred in Texas in late 2019. Calderón has since denied any knowledge of García Luna’s illegal dealings.
United States Attorney Breon Peace emphasized the significance of this case, stating, “This is a critical step in upholding justice and the rule of law.”
He added, “His betrayal of the public trust and the people he was sworn to protect resulted in more than one million kilograms of lethal narcotics imported into our communities and unleashed untold violence here and in Mexico.”
DEA chief Anne Milgram reinforced this message, stating that the sentencing “sends a clear message to corrupt leaders around the world who use their positions of power to help the cartels.”
“No amount of power will shield you from justice,” she asserted.
While he was a close partner of the DEA during his tenure, García Luna was simultaneously leaking sensitive information to the Sinaloa cartel.
It was also noted that, “At the same time he was receiving DEA accolades, however, he was also leaking secrets to the Sinaloa cartel.”
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, García Luna’s actions included facilitating the safe passage of cartel shipments and providing sensitive law enforcement information.
“In exchange for bribes, the defendant’s Federal Police Force acted as bodyguards and escorts for the Cartel,” it stated.
After moving to the U.S. in 2012, García Luna applied for citizenship in 2018, where he “lied about his past criminal conduct on behalf of the Cartel.”
His wife and daughter were present during the sentencing, where the judge noted that García Luna lived a “double life.”
Before receiving his sentence, García Luna maintained his innocence, stating, “I have not committed any of these crimes. I am not the person that the criminals point to.”
Former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador claimed that García Luna’s case illustrates that Mexico was a narco-state during Calderón’s presidency. Allegations have emerged regarding López Obrador’s campaign funding, which he denied.
