What were the links that Genaro García Luna had with ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán while he was fighting drug trafficking?

The name of Genaro Garcia Luna has been the subject of a number of stories, from his achievements and “feats” when he was police chief, to his alleged links to organized crimepassing through dark episodes such as the television montage of the alleged kidnappers Florence Cassez and Israel Vallarta.

However, the highlight of the former Mexican official is not his performance as Secretary of Public Security, but his possible ties to the Sinaloa Cartela criminal organization that he would have favored during the six-year terms of former PAN presidents Vicente Fox (2000-2006) and Felipe Calderón (2006-2012).

This Tuesday, January 17, the judgment against the so-called “super police” in the Eastern District Court of New York. Although the initial arguments could begin until tomorrow, Wednesday -because the jury has not yet been selected-, there is the possibility that García Luna will plead guilty and thus be able to obtain a lesser sentence by being treated as a cooperating witness.

In the event that the trial does take place, the names of other possible Mexican officials who would also have been involved in the criminal network of which he was a part could be released, as well as the relationship he had with high-ranking drug traffickers. , What Joaquin Guzman Loeraalias El Chapo.

It was during the trial of El Chapo in 2019 that the name of Genaro García Luna was mentioned due to his alleged collaboration with the Sinaloa Cartel. Jesus The king Zambada -brother of Ismael the may Zambada, one of the leaders of the criminal organization – testified against him and assured that he received millionaire bribes between 2005 and 2007 that would exceed five million dollars.

It is presumed that the cartel El Chapo Guzmán agreed with García Luna for the official to provide them with confidential information on security and thus not affect its members, in addition to allowing the free circulation of drugs in Mexican territory and their transfer to the United States, mainly cocaine.

Likewise, he would have helped Joaquín Guzmán to get rid of your enemies, arresting them or leaking data from opposing criminal cells. The foregoing while leading the so-called “war on drugs” promoted by Felipe Calderón. Thus, while the Secretary of Public Security presumed to fight drug traffickers, El Chapo strengthened his power.

However, since Vicente Fox’s six-year term, when he was director of the Federal Investigation Agency (AFI), García Luna and Guzmán Loera already had a history full of collusion, bribery and corruption.

“García Luna is accused of receiving millions of dollars in bribes from the Sinaloa Cartel from ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán while he controlled the Federal Police of Mexico and was responsible for ensuring safety public in Mexico”, declared the federal prosecutor Richard P. Donoghue in December 2019, when the arrest of the Sinaloan was carried out.

The links and closeness between the two characters could be reflected in the gifts that Guzmán Loera received every year on his birthday (April 4), according to the journalist specialized in security issues, Óscar Balderas.

In 2018, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) identified a subject named jamie haz who belonged to the closest circle of El Chapo. It’s about a whiskey expert who, in addition to being the capo’s personal bartender, was in charge of receiving the bottles that officials from the three levels of the government sent him.

In this way, every year the Sinaloan received dozens of bottles and Jaime Haz -which could be a pseudonym- took note of the senders; among them, the CIA presumes that there is Genaro García Luna, announced MVS.

The Judge Brian Cogan -the same one who sentenced to life imprisonment El Chapo– will be the one who leads the process against the former Mexican official. In addition to being accused of drug trafficking, he also faces charges for organized crime and false statements.

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