Mexico’s ex-police chief, 51, is indicted in New York for taking at least $6MILLION in bribes from El Chapo’s Sinaloa Cartel to turn blind eye to cocaine being shipped into the U.S
- Genaro García Luna was arrested in Dallas on Monday and charged by a federal New York court Tuesday of accepting millions of dollars from the Sinaloa Cartel
- García Luna, who served as Mexico’s former secretary of public security, allegedly took $6 million to allow El Chapo’s Sinaloa Cartel to operate freely
- The 51-year-old, a resident of Florida, was slammed with three counts of cocaine trafficking conspiracy and a false statement charge
- El Chapo’s former son-in-law, Jesús ‘El Vicentillo’ Zambada, testified in the kingpin’s trial that he made $6 million in hidden payments to García Luna
Mexico’s former secretary of public security was indicted by a federal prosecutors in a New York City court on Tuesday on charges he accepted millions of dollars in bribes from Joaquín ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán’s organization.
Genaro García Luna, a resident of Florida, was hit with three counts of cocaine trafficking conspiracy and a false statements charge by the same Brooklyn federal court that in February sentenced the co-founder of the Sinaloa Cartel to life in prison.
The 51-year-old served under the administration of former President Felipe Calderón from 2006 to 2012.
García Luna was arrested Monday by federal agents in Dallas, and Brooklyn prosecutors acknowledge they are working on seeking his extradition to New York. The arrest and charges were announced Tuesday.
According to court documents, U.S. Attorney Richard P. Donoghue said García Luna took millions of dollars in bribes from El Chapo ‘while he controlled Mexico’s federal police force and was responsible for ensuring public safety in Mexico.’
‘Today’s arrest demonstrates our resolve to bring to justice those who help cartels inflict devastating harm on the United States and Mexico, regardless of the positions they held while committing their crimes,’ he said.
García Luna received millions of dollars in bribes from 2001 to 2012 while he occupied high-ranking law enforcement positions in the Mexican government, authorities said.
Mexico’s former secretary of public security, Genaro García Luna (pictured September 2009) was indicted Tuesday in New York on charges that he took millions of dollars in bribes from El Chapo’s Sinaloa Cartel. Federal agents arrested García Luna in Dallas on Monday
El Chapo’s (center) funneled at least $6 million to Genaro García Luna, served under the administration of former President Felipe Calderón from 2006 to 2012
Vicente ‘El Vicentillo’ Zambada (left) testified against El Chapo (second to the right) during his former father-in-law’s trial. Zambada said he made hidden payments of at least $6 million to Genaro García Luna, on behalf of his father, cartel co-founder Ismael ‘El Mayo’ Zambada, who is still on the run
The Sinaloa Cartel infiltrated the upper levels of the Mexican through García Luna, who from 2001 to 2005 led Mexico´s Federal Investigation Agency, and from 2006 to 2012 served as Mexico’s secretary of public security, controlling the nation’s federal police force, U.S. authorities said.
The multi-million dollar bribes paid to García Luna cleared the way for the Sinaloa Cartel to safely ship multiple tons of cocaine and other drugs into the United States. The agreement between the criminal transnational organization and the Mexican official also produced sensitive law enforcement information about investigations and information about rival drug cartels.
García Luna was once seen as a powerful ally in the American effort to thwart Mexican cartels from flooding the U.S. market with cocaine and other illegal drugs. But he had also previously come under suspicion of taking bribes.
Vicente ‘El Vicentillo’ Zambada (pictured) was once married to Rosa Isela Guzmán, El Chapo’s daughter. They had two children. He also testified against El Chapo during the three-month trial and said he made payments to former Mexican official, Genaro García Luna
In 2018, federal prosecutors got former cartel member Jesús ‘El Vicentillo’ Zambada to flip and testify against El Chapo, his former father-in-law.
El Vicentillo said he personally made hidden payments of at least $6 million to García Luna, on behalf of his father, cartel co-founder Ismael ‘El Mayo’ Zambada, who is still on the run.
The cash was delivered during two meetings at a restaurant in Mexico between the start of 2005 and the end of 2007, he said.
There was no immediate comment from representatives for García Luna.
Federal prosecutors said he lied about his criminal past when he reportedly applied for naturalization in 2018.
García Luna faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in jail and a maximum of life imprisonment if convicted.
Genaro García Luna (pictured in June 2011) faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a maximum of life imprisonment if convicted