Mexico’s former public security secretary took millions from the Sinaloa Cartel in exchange for letting the organization operate with impunity, federal prosecutors revealed following his arrest in Dallas, Texas. While in office, he served as Mexico’s top security official who oversaw the country’s entire Federal Police apparatus reporting directly to the former president. He faces multiple drug conspiracy charges in a New York federal court.
On Monday morning, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced the arrest of Genaro Garcia Luna in Dallas based on a warrant from an indictment filed in the Eastern District of New York. Garcia Luna served as the head of Mexico’s Federal Investigation Agency from 2001 to 2005. He then served under President Felipe Calderon from 2006 to 2012 as secretary of public security.
In exchange for large bribes, Garcia Luna allowed the Sinaloa Cartel led by Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman to “operate with impunity in Mexico,” according to prosecutors. The government attorneys claim that under Garcia Luna’s watch, the Sinaloa Cartel received safe passage for drug shipments, sensitive law enforcement information about ongoing cases, and intelligence on rivals.
“On two occasions, the cartel personally delivered bribe payments to Garcia Luna in briefcases containing between three and five million dollars,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office revealed in a prepared statement. “According to financial records obtained by the government, by the time Garcia Luna relocated to the United States in 2012, he had amassed a personal fortune of millions of dollars.”
Prosecutors claim that in 2018, Garcia Luna applied to become a naturalized U.S. citizen and lied to investigators about his ties to Mexican drug traffickers. If convicted, he faces a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Soon after the arrest, Mexico’s former president Felipe Calderon took to social media to say he did not have details on the case, but that he would always be in favor of justice and the law.
Estoy conociendo por redes sociales la versión del presunto arresto de Genaro García Luna. Desconozco detalles y estoy pendiente de la información que confirme el hecho, como de los cargos que, en su caso, se le imputen. Mi postura será siempre en favor de la justicia y la ley.
— Felipe Calderón (@FelipeCalderon) December 10, 2019
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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