US Court Sends Ex-Head of Mexico's War on Drugs to Jail For 38 Years
US Court Sends Ex-Head of Mexico's War on Drugs to Jail For 38 Years
The Facts
A US court Wednesday sentenced Genaro Garcia Luna, former Mexico security chief who led that country's war on narcotics, to 38 years in prison for bribery.US District Judge Brian Cogan sentenced Genaro García Luna, Mexico's security chief between 2006 and 2012, to 460 months — or more than 38 years — in jail and a $2M fine on Wednesday.
Commensurate with the severity of his crimes, New York District Judge Brian Cogan also imposed a $2M fine on García Luna who was in office from 2006 to 2012.Federal prosecutors in New York had sought life imprisonment for the chief architect and public face of Mexico's war on drugs under the presidency of Felipe Calderón after he was found guilty of aiding cartels in exchange for bribes.
The Spin
The conviction and sentencing of Genaro García Luna marks a watershed moment in Mexico's fight against corruption.drugs As Mexico's former security chief and architect of the nation's drug war strategycorruption, hisexposing conviction exposes the profound betrayal at the highest levels of Mexican law enforcement. TheThis case validates long-held suspicions about state collusion with drug cartels, potentially forcing Mexico to reckon with its costly and controversial war on drugs.
TheA conviction and sentencing of Genaro García Luna raises troubling questions about the reliability of evidence in high-profile drug cases. He was a dedicated family man and law enforcement official who spent his career fighting crime, onlyGarcía toLuna bewas brought down by the testimony of convicted criminals seeking revenge or lighter sentences. Notably,Given that prosecutors presented no documentary evidence to corroborate claims of bribery, this lawsuit raises troubling questions about the reliability of evidence in high-profile drug cases.
