Genaro García Luna sentenced to 38 years in prison for drug trafficking and organized crime

Thirty-eight years in prison. This is the sentence that the United States imposed this Wednesday on Genaro García Luna, the former anti-drug czar and secretary of public security of former President Felipe Calderón. The 56-year-old former officer, once considered one of the most powerful and feared men in Mexico, had his fate decided in New York’s Eastern District Court – the same court and before the same judge who convicted Joaquin. el chapo Guzmán in October 2019―for receiving million-dollar bribes and collaborating with the Sinaloa Cartel for more than two decades. García Luna has been the highest-ranking Mexican politician to step into a US court. He will also be the first high command to serve a sentence in that country’s jail. Judge Brian Cogan has also imposed a fine of $2 million.

“I’m not going to sentence you to life, I’m going to leave you a little light at the end of the tunnel,” Judge Cogan said before handing down the historic sentence of 460 months in prison. Kogan did not impose the life sentence sought by the prosecutor’s office or the minimum sentence of 20 years sought by the defense, but he was relentless and did not hesitate. “You have the same thuggery as El Chapo, you just manifest it in a different way,” he said, while the accused’s gaze went blurry and he looked completely defeated. The judge gave a “double life” sentence to the former secretary of state, who took advantage of his positions at the top of the Mexican government to favor and collaborate with the Sinaloa Cartel for more than two decades. This was his main argument behind imposing the punishment. “You are guilty, sir,” he concluded.

Garcia Luna addressed the court for the first time, saying, “I have not committed any of these crimes.” The former secretary appeared in a dark suit, with a stern face and frowning brows, but as the hearing progressed his armor began to crack and he lowered his head when the judge, who was the last one to speak, intervened. Did it. The former officer assured that his case was influenced by “political interests”, emphasizing his good behavior and his legacy as a public servant. “From the depth of my feelings, I ask you to allow me to return to my family,” he pleaded for a moment, his voice trailing off.

“He helped the cartel, he protected the cartel, he was the cartel,” said chief prosecutor Saritha Komatireddy. He said, ”You have death in your hands.” U.S. officials tried to set a precedent against corrupt officials in Mexico, arguing the enormous difficulties of bringing them to justice and ensuring that officials like Genaro García Luna Without help the Sinaloa Cartel would not exist. “The message this court will send will be incredibly important,” Komatireddy said. Regarding the importance of the case compared to other Latin American leaders convicted in the US legal system, he said, “Mexico is not an ordinary republic, it is an important neighbor.”

The jury’s verdict was unanimous after a five-week trial in February last year. Garcia Luna was found guilty of five crimes in a Brooklyn court: three for conspiracy to traffic cocaine, one for participating in a continuing criminal enterprise and another for making false statements to authorities. The sentencing, initially scheduled for June last year, was delayed at least five times due to requests for reconsideration from his lawyers. Judge Kogan rejected the request last month, after the prosecutor’s office revealed that the former secretary had offered bribes of up to two million dollars to other prisoners to testify in his favor.

García Luna’s defense team, headed by César de Castro, defended their client’s innocence and announced that he would appeal the sentence. “Why isn’t 20 years enough for a man who has already lost everything?” This was the central thesis in de Castro’s position, which did not convince even the court. The lawyer was scolded by a group of protesters shouting “38 years is not enough” and also confronted García Luna’s wife and daughter as they left the court. The legal representative assured that he received “death threats” from defending the former secretary. “Calderon, Calderon, prison is waiting for you,” shouted about 30 supporters of Morena, Mexico’s ruling party.

President Claudia Sheinbaum called the former official “a cynic”, sent a letter to the judge asking for clemency last fall, accused the Mexican government of fabricating “false information” and criticized judicial reform promoted by the former official. President Andres Manuel. Sheinbaum also attacked Calderón and challenged him to comment on the case. “We want to see what he says,” he said at his morning conference call.

Kogan said the crimes committed were “very serious” and “very serious”. He also decided to impose a fine of one million dollars for not giving credibility to the financial statements presented by the defense. “I’m sure he has some money hidden away,” he said. However, the judge accepted the recommendation that Garcia Luna be transferred to a prison near the Washington metropolitan area, where his family lives. The decision in which jail he will serve his sentence will be announced in the near future. He was also given a concurrent sentence of six months for the false statements offense, five years of supervised release, and a ban on entry into the United States after serving his sentence. The fate of the highest-profile former Mexican official to be arrested in a U.S. court was written at 5:21 p.m.

The sentencing hearing was marked by high tension and nervousness, raising warnings of a political earthquake on the other side of the border. Ismail will be after the former secretary May Zambada, co-founder and boss of the Sinaloa Cartel, who is sitting in the dock in New York this week, is once again in Judge Cogan’s court. After the fall of El Chapo and García Luna, the trial against Zambada, captured in late July, is going to be next thriller Judicial proceedings against Mexican drug traffickers in the United States.