That Mexico has a problem with drug trafficking is not new. There is news that gives context to the magnitude of the situation. For example, a plan such as the creation of a freight and passenger train throughout the country raises questions about the suitability or otherwise of the project due to drug traffickers, or that the Mayan ruins begin to be inaccessible due to violence. However, few news stories can give a more accurate idea of how far the power of the drug is extended than a news story that just broke in New York.
The news. The former Secretary of Public Security of Mexico, Genaro García Luna, the man who was one of the key figures in the fight against drug trafficking, has been sentenced to more than 38 years in prison in the United States for accepting millionaire bribes from the Sinaloa cartel. .
The sentence, imposed by a court in New York, marks a milestone as it is the highest-ranking official in Mexican history convicted on US soil. Luna, who headed the Federal Police and held a cabinet position during the government of President Felipe Calderón (2006-2012), was found guilty of protecting the drug traffickers he was supposed to combat.
Bribes and protection. Asked what exactly Luna did, U.S. prosecutors presented evidence that he received millions of dollars in exchange for information about ongoing investigations against the Sinaloa cartel, logistical support for drug trafficking and sabotage of legitimate police operations they attempted. capture cartel leaders.
Not only that. During the trial it was revealed that Luna allowed the safe passage of large quantities of drugs into the United States, including more than one million tons of cocaine transported by means such as planes, trains and submarines. Plus: The tests showed evidence of his ties to influential American political figures, such as former President Barack Obama, underscoring the level of access and power he came to wield.
The former president speaks. As soon as the sentence was known, all eyes turned to the man who governed Mexico during the “job” of Genaro Luna, Felipe Calderón. The former president has communicated that he respects the court’s decision, although he maintained that he never had verifiable evidence of the illicit activities of his former secretary.
Calderón defended his position by stating that fighting the cartels was one of the most difficult decisions of his life, but that he would do it again. On the opposite sidewalk, meanwhile, these days there have been groups of protesters in front of the court, some with banners accusing Calderón of being aware of García Luna’s activities, all in a rarefied atmosphere that reflects the political tensions that have generated the case.
Fine and corruption. In addition to the prison sentence, United States Judge Brian Cogan has imposed a fine of two million dollars on García Luna. During the trial, testimony was presented from former cartel members, such as one who claimed to have personally delivered up to $6 million in bribes to the former secretary.
Prosecutors also detailed how García Luna attempted to corrupt other inmates at the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center to overturn the guilty verdict. In this regard, Cogan was blunt in pointing out that “the past praise” he received for his work in the war on drugs does not excuse his crimes, describing his role in drug trafficking as “a key facilitator for the cartels.”
Appeals and other cases. Although there is a sentence, García Luna and his legal team have stated that they will appeal the ruling, arguing that the man has lost everything: his reputation, his finances and the policies he defended during his mandate, “he only has his family left,” said his lawyer. suggesting that his conviction is part of a narrative built on false information provided by criminals.
The case of García Luna has served in the media to remember another similar one, but with a very different resolution: that of the arrest of former Mexican Secretary of Defense Salvador Cienfuegos, arrested in 2020 for alleged collusion with a drug cartel. Unlike Luna’s conviction, former Mexican President López Obrador protested Cienfuegos’ arrest, accusing the DEA of fabricating evidence.
Ultimately, the charges against Cienfuegos were dropped and the man was free in Mexico.
Image | Luis Barrios, RawPixel
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