Former Mexican Public Security Secretary Genaro García Luna was convicted by a New York jury on five drug trafficking-related charges. The former official was accused, among other things, of profiting millions of dollars in connection to the Sinaloa Cartel.
García Luna faces a sentence ranging from 20 years to life in prison and will be sentenced on June 27.
"A traitor to his country"
The former official, known for his close ties with Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, was indicted on charges that include: participation in a criminal enterprise, conspiracy to procure, import and distribute thousands of kilograms of cocaine in the United States, in addition to having made false statements to immigration officials. According to the Department of Justice press release:
Genaro Garcia Luna, the former Secretary of Public Security in Mexico from 2006 to 2012, was convicted today by a federal jury in Brooklyn of all five counts of a superseding indictment charging him with engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise that includes six drug-related violations, international cocaine distribution conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine, conspiracy to import cocaine, and making false statements.
The jury in the Eastern District Court of New York announced the verdict after 15 days of hearings and testimony from 27 witnesses. Garcia Luna pleaded not guilty to all charges and may appeal this ruling within 45 days.
Breon Peace, a New York prosecutor, said the former official " will now live the rest of his days having been revealed as a traitor to his country and to the honest members of law enforcement who risked their lives to dismantle drug cartels":
It is unconscionable that the defendant betrayed his duty as Secretary of Public Security by greedily accepting millions of dollars in bribe money that was stained by the blood of Cartel wars and drug-related battles in the streets of the United States and Mexico, in exchange for protecting those murderers and traffickers he was solemnly sworn to investigate.
The trial against García Luna in New York began last January and lasted about six weeks. It was presided over by the same court and federal judge, Brian Cogan, who oversaw the case against El Chapo.
García Luna's so-called 'fight' against drug trafficking
García Luna had developed an strong cooperation between Mexico and the U.S. in the fight against drug trafficking. He helped implement new and effective methods against major drug cartels. However, the prosecution argued that, in exchange for money, he allowed the Sinaloa Cartel to operate with impunity in Mexico. It was further argued that he helped drug traffickers transport drugs into the United States without law enforcement intervention and that he even carried out attacks against rival cartels.
Former ambassador Tom Feeley, who worked with García Luna in the fight against drug trafficking, noted that "liked to present himself as an avenging superhero policeman. We really have to admit that he fooled us."
The government of Andrés Manuel López Obrador accused the former secretary of stealing more than $200 million in public funds and requested his extradition to Mexico. Mexican government spokesman Jesus Ramirez Cuevas said in a tweet that "the crimes against our people will never be forgotten."
