Witness says he paid $5 million in bribes to Garcia Luna

NEW YORK (AP) — A key prosecution witness testified Monday that he delivered millions of dollars in bribes intended for former Mexican Public Security Secretary Genaro Garcia Luna, although he said he did not speak to him directly about what the money was supposed to buy. : impunity for the Sinaloa cartel.

Jesús “El Rey” Zambada, a former member of said cartel, testified in the drug trafficking trial against García Luna in the United States, four years after he catalyzed the process by airing accusations against García Luna in the trial of Baron de the drug Joaquin “El Chapo”. Guzman. García Luna was later arrested and denied the charges.

Zambada is one of many former cartel members and former security force officials who have testified against García Luna. Zambada made well-known descriptions of cocaine shipments on planes, trains and even submarines, with the complicity of police and officials who were under the supervision of García Luna, and even the Secretary of Security public himself, according to the witness who told him.

Zambada claimed to have made payments to García Luna through an intermediary who told him that the then Secretary of Public Security would protect the cartel, which was co-led by the witness’s brother: Ismael ” El Mayo » Zambada.

The intermediary “told me that (García Luna) told him that he was going to protect my brother, that he was not going to disturb him, that he was going to let him work without problem”, said Jesús Zambada.

He claimed he was told that when the cartel wanted friendly police commanders in various locations, García Luna would help. And, indeed, the cartel managed to place its preferred commanders, Zambada said.

The alleged middleman died in 2010. Zambada did not say he personally gave money to García Luna or obtained guarantees from him.

In fact, Zambada said he quickly apologized when García Luna showed up early for a meeting with the broker at a fancy Mexico City restaurant in 2006, during which he handed over $2 million. dollars. Zambada told jurors that a previous similar meeting cost him an additional $3 million.

According to Zambada, on both occasions he handed over the money to the middleman, who met García Luna in a private room of a luxury restaurant in Mexico City called Champs Élysées. Zambada said that, at least for the first time, he waited in the bar during the talks and watched the security secretary leave with suitcases full of cartel money.

García Luna said on Monday that he did not plan to testify at his trial. His lawyers have not yet had their turn to present witnesses.

Lawyers argued the lawsuits were based on statements from unreliable criminals who cooperate with the government to reduce their sentences or exact revenge on García Luna for trying to crack down on drug trafficking.

During Zambada’s interrogation, defense attorney César de Castro pointed out that the witness admitted to conspiring to commit murders for the cartel.

“That makes you responsible for the deaths of these people, doesn’t it?” asked the lawyer.

“Partly, yes,” replied the witness.

Zambada was arrested in Mexico in 2008 and extradited to the United States four years later. He pleaded guilty to drug offenses and other charges that could have earned him life in prison.

He was eventually sentenced to 12 years after cooperating with the government. He is now on probation.

De Castro noted that Zambada did not mention García Luna until he repeatedly met with U.S. prosecutors.

García Luna headed Mexico’s Federal Investigation Agency from 2001 to 2005, then served as Secretary of Public Security to then-President Felipe Calderón from 2006 to 2012. In the latter role, García Luna was in in charge of the fight against drug cartels.

In 2012, he moved to Miami and became a security consultant.

If convicted, Garcia Luna, 54, could face decades in prison.