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A New York court jury found guilty the man who was responsible for the fight against drugs in Mexico between 2006 and 2012. Several former drug traffickers claimed to have paid millions of dollars in bribes to García Luna in exchange for the Mexican police protecting the powerful Cartel from Sinaloa.
From Washington,
In a trial that lasted 4 weeks, Genaro García Luna, Mexico’s former security secretary between 2006 and 2012 during the presidency of Felipe Calderón, was sentenced in New York for helping to traffic and distribute drugs in the United States. Nine former drug traffickers and officials served as witnesses during the trial and testified that García Luna installed members within the Mexican federal police to assist the Sinaloa Cartel in dispatching drugs and to alert them when and where there were raids by US authorities.
Sergio Villareal Barragán, a former Mexican federal police officer, said in court that Genaro García Luna received $1.5 million for the services he provided in addition to other benefits.
Several of the witnesses, former prominent members of the Sinaloa cartel, such as Jesús “Rey” Zambada, Sergio Villarreal “El Grande” or Óscar “Lobo” Valencia -who collaborate with the US justice system in exchange for reduced sentences-, assured during the trial that they had paid millions of dollars to the defendant in exchange for protection.
According to the sum they offered, García Luna and his acolytes would have received at least 270 million dollars in bribes.
Garcia Luna is the highest-ranking official from Mexico to face charges in the US and will have to pay a mandatory minimum of 20 years in prison after being convicted of participating in a criminal enterprise.
The sentence will be announced on June 27, the judge announced. The defense now has 45 days to appeal the jury’s decision.
with AFP
