Mexico’s former public security chief to be sentenced in US drug case

A former chief of public security in Mexico is set to be sentenced in a U.S. court after being found guilty of accepting millions in bribes to support drug traffickers that his office was supposed to combat.

Genaro Garcia Luna's sentencing is scheduled for Wednesday in a New York federal court, following his conviction last year on charges of conspiring to shield the activities of Mexico’s infamous Sinaloa cartel.

Federal prosecutors revealed that during Garcia Luna’s tenure, drug traffickers were able to transport over one million kilograms (1,100 tonnes) of cocaine through Mexico and into the U.S. using various means, including planes, trains, trucks, and submarines. They argued that his actions contributed to the deaths of thousands of citizens in both the U.S. and Mexico.

Garcia Luna has denied the allegations, with his lawyers claiming that the charges were based on falsehoods from criminals seeking revenge for his drug enforcement efforts and hoping for leniency in their own cases.

“Nothing backs up what these killers, torturers, fraudsters, and epic narcotics traffickers claimed about Genaro Garcia Luna,” his defense attorney, Cesar de Castro, stated during closing arguments.

Prosecutors are requesting a life sentence for Garcia Luna, while his legal team is advocating for a maximum of 20 years in prison.

“It is difficult to overstate the magnitude of the defendant’s crimes, the deaths and addiction he facilitated, and his betrayal of the people of Mexico and the United States,” prosecutors noted in court filings. “His crimes demand justice.”

Mexico’s ‘Super-cop’

Garcia Luna previously led Mexico’s federal police before serving as the nation’s top security official in a cabinet-level position from 2006 to 2012, earning the unofficial title of ‘Drug Czar’ during former Mexican President Felipe Calderon’s administration.

He was regarded as the architect of Calderon’s aggressive campaign against cartels and was seen as a crucial ally by the U.S. in its battle against drug traffickers. During the trial, images surfaced of Garcia Luna shaking hands with former President Barack Obama and conversing with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. He later relocated to Florida, where he established a consulting business.

In 2021, the Mexican government filed a lawsuit against Garcia Luna and his wife in Florida, seeking $250 million in recovery for funds allegedly misappropriated from the Mexican government during his time as Minister of Public Security.

Horrific Violence

Prosecutors contend that in exchange for millions of dollars, Garcia Luna provided intelligence on investigations targeting the Sinaloa cartel, shared information about rival cartels, and facilitated the safe passage of significant drug shipments.

They also alleged that he warned drug traffickers about upcoming raids and undermined legitimate police efforts aimed at capturing cartel leaders.

During the 2018 trial of former Sinaloa boss Joaquin ‘El Chapo’ Guzman, a former cartel member testified that he personally delivered at least $6 million in bribes to Garcia Luna, and that cartel members agreed to pool up to $50 million for his protection.

In Garcia Luna’s own trial, a number of former smugglers and Mexican officials testified against him, recounting extravagant narco-lifestyles that included a private zoo featuring a lion, a hippo, white tigers, and more.

Witnesses also recounted the gruesome violence fueled by drug trafficking, detailing cartel murders and kidnappings, the slaughter of police officers, and the dismemberment and skinning of drug rivals, whose bodies were displayed from bridges as cartel factions clashed while seeking police protection.