Mexico’s Former Public Security Chief Sentenced to 38 Years in US Prison
Genaro Garcia Luna attends a press conference in Mexico City in 2010 (Photo: Marco Ugarte)
After working in Mexico's National Defense sector for over 20 years, a US court sentenced Genaro Garcia Luna to 38 years and four months in a US prison along with a fine of up to 2 million for bribery related to the Mexican cartels. Garcia Lunas’s case shows Mexico’s long-standing struggle with corruption even amongst high-ranking government officials.
From 2001 to 2005, Garcia Luna served as the head of Mexico's Federal Investigative Agency until becoming the Secretary of Public Security – Mexico’s highest law enforcement official – from 2006 to 2012. Originally, he was assigned to monitor guerilla groups as well as address kidnappings within Mexico. However, as Mexico’s Secretary of Public Security, he was entrusted to fight the war against drug traffickers by implementing effective security strategies.
Despite being given the responsibility and trust of Mexican citizens to suppress cartel violence, Garcia Luna was contributing to the power of one of the most violent cartels in Mexico: the Sinaloa Cartel. In return for millions of dollars in bribes, Genaro Garcia Luna provided the criminal organization with intelligence about raids and investigations. He additionally assisted the Sinaloa cartel in transporting cocaine and dampening the prominence of rival gangs. As a result, multiple tons of cocaine were smuggled into the United States, leading to the death of thousands of Americans and Mexicans.
After retiring in 2012, he moved to the United States, applying for naturalization in 2018. While attempting to become a US citizen, he lied about his criminal history and connections to the Mexican Cartel. During his sentencing this past Wednesday, after being initially convicted in 2023 for bribery by the Sinaloa Cartel, Garcia Luna denied allegations about his involvement in criminal activity. Up to the point of his sentencing, Garcia Luna attempted to bribe fellow inmates to testify in his favor.
Demonstrators outside of the federal court reacting to Lunas being found guilty of bribery charges (Photo: John Minchillo)
The New York Strike Force was in charge of leading his investigation, which was backed by several US task forces and divisions including the DEA, US Customs and Border Protection, US Coast Guard, New York State Department of Corrections, and more. Due to the high levels of corruption in different branches in Mexico, the US bypassed Mexican officials when investigating.
Millions of Lunas’s dollars were found hidden in three different locations across Mexico including a French restaurant, a gas station, and a safe house. Previous cartel members have testified that the cartel agreed to pay Luna up to 60 million dollars for his cooperation, further implicating the former head of Mexico’s Federal Investigative Agency in the corruption allegations.