MEXICO: Genaro Garcia Luna, the 54-year-old senior figure in the war on drugs in Mexico, has been convicted by a US jury of extracting millions in bribes and trafficking cocaine and even assisting the famously violent Sinaloa drug cartel that he was told to combat.
A nameless New York federal court jury instigated deliberations for three days prior to reaching a verdict.
Mainly considered the architect of Mexico’s war on drugs, the ex-cabinet minister shared secrets with the Sinaloa gang and warned them about the legal implications, which had an effect on both sides of the border.
Luna would be facing a 20-year jail sentence for being the highest-ranking current or erstwhile official to be convicted and tried in the United States.
Luna’s lawyers, however, denied the allegations, stating that he was framed in light of the series of lies from the criminals who wanted to penalise him for his efforts in fighting the drug issues. Luna did not comment following his verdict hearing.
The US prosecutor, Saritha Komatireddy, in her closing argument mentioned that this Sinaloa “global cocaine empire” was impossible to stand without Luna stating that “They paid the defendant bribes for protection.”
Former Mexican officials and a group of ex-smugglers mentioned that Luna took millions of dollars in cartel cash and kept the legal implications aside by conducting business with important traffickers.
Cesar de Castro, the defence lawyer, said in a closing statement, “Nothing backs up what these killers, torturers, fraudsters, and epic narcotics traffickers claimed about Genaro Garca Luna.”
Garcia is convicted of other charges that include taking part in criminal enterprises that lead to a sentence of 20 years to life in prison, charges of cocaine distribution, and cocaine conspiracy. June 27 would be the day of his sentencing.
A civil suit has been filed against Luna by the Mexican Government as well as his associates in Florida to recover $700 million that he is claimed to have extracted through illegal activities.
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