A federal jury in New York decided that a former top law enforcement official in Mexico took multi-million dollar bribes from the Sinaloa Cartel in exchange for protecting the criminal organization.
Genaro Garcia Luna, 54, Mexico’s former Secretary of Public Safety, served the administration of President Felipe Calderon (2006-2012). After his term, Garcia Luna moved to the U.S. and naturalized. The Department of Justice arrested Garcia Luna in 2019 on a criminal indictment accusing him of working for the Sinaloa Cartel.
After days of deliberation and a three-week trial, the jury found him guilty of all counts. Garcia Luna is scheduled for sentencing in June where he could face a life term in prison.
According to the DOJ, Garcia Luna helped the Sinaloa Cartel move drug shipments by providing safe passage. He also leaked sensitive law enforcement information about investigations into his associates and helped the Sinaloa Cartel attack rivals.
During the trial, a practical who’s who of previously convicted cartel figures and corrupt Mexican officials were called to testify against Garcia Luna. Testimony revealed that Mexican federal cops acted as bodyguards for the cartel. Additionally, Garcia Luna would have cartel members dress as cops so they could go on raids against rivals.
While the trial drew relatively little attention in the U.S., it sparked controversy in Mexico where President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador routinely pointed to Garcia Luna as a way to note the corruption of his predecessors. The finger-pointing comes at a time when Lopez Obrador faces constant criticism for the escalating violence in Mexico tied largely to his soft approach against organized crime. Lopez Obrador has favored promoting social programs as a way to keep individuals from joining cartels.
Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart management. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at Iortiz@breitbart.com.
Brandon Darby is the managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and senior Breitbart management. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at bdarby@breitbart.com.
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