Former Mexican Presidential Cabinet Member Convicted in US of Taking Bribes to Protect Drug Cartels

A former Mexican presidential Cabinet member was convicted in the U.S. on Tuesday of taking massive bribes to protect the violent drug cartels he was tasked with combating. Genaro García Luna, Mexico’s former public security secretary and architect of its deadly and protracted war on drugs, was found guilty in federal court in New York of five counts of engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise, including international cocaine distribution conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine, conspiracy to import cocaine and making false statements, according to the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York.

García Luna, who served as his country’s equivalent of the FBI director from 2006 to 2012, was under tight security as an anonymous New York federal court jury deliberated three days before reaching a verdict in the drug trafficking case against him. He is the highest-ranking current or former Mexican official ever to be tried in the United States.

García Luna denied the allegations, and his lawyers said the charges were based on lies from criminals who wanted to punish his drug-fighting efforts and to get sentencing breaks for themselves by helping prosecutors.

The conviction of García Luna marks a major victory for the US Attorney’s Office in its fight against drug trafficking and corruption. It also serves as a reminder of the need for strong anti-corruption measures to ensure that public officials are held accountable for their actions.