The former high-ranking Mexican official, Genaro García Luna, has been accused of attempting to bribe inmates to provide false statements in support of his request for a new trial in a U.S. drug case. García Luna, who previously served as Mexico’s top public safety official, was convicted last year of accepting bribes to shield drug cartels. Despite denying the charges, his bid for a new trial has been rejected by U.S. District Judge Brian Cogan, who deemed the bribery scheme to obstruct justice as credible.
In addition to the bribery allegations, García Luna’s defense arguments for a new trial, including claims of false testimony by prosecution witnesses and lack of disclosure of potentially helpful information by prosecutors, were also dismissed by the judge. Defense lawyer César de Castro expressed disappointment with the court’s decision, citing fundamental issues with the prosecution. García Luna intends to appeal the ruling, as confirmed by his lawyer.
Following the verdict, defense attorneys presented a sworn statement from an inmate alleging that a prosecution witness intended to testify against García Luna and had illicit communications with another government witness using a contraband cellphone. This information was used to support the defense’s theory that García Luna was framed by cartel members and corrupt officials seeking leniency. However, prosecutors revealed that the inmate who provided the statement suffers from a psychotic disorder, and interviews with the witnesses mentioned in the statement contradicted the claims.
Prosecutors further disclosed that García Luna had allegedly offered substantial sums of money to inmates to fabricate similar accounts of communications among the witnesses. The judge determined that the defense lawyers were unaware of García Luna’s efforts to manipulate the situation. García Luna, aged 56, faces sentencing on October 9 for charges, including engaging in criminal activities, with a potential sentence of at least 20 years to life in prison. He served as Mexico’s public security secretary from 2006 to 2012.
