Mexico: Former Security Chief Ordered to Pay $2.4 Billion

A US court has mandated that Genaro Garcia Luna, a former Mexican security official, and his wife, convicted of drug trafficking, pay over $2.4 billion. This information comes from the Mexican government.

The Mexican authorities filed a lawsuit against Garcia Luna, who is currently imprisoned in the US, suspected of corruption and money laundering involving numerous public contracts.

This recent ruling marks another development in the complex saga surrounding Garcia Luna, once dubbed “Supercop” for his law enforcement role but later found to have collaborated with drug traffickers.

The Florida court’s judgment is three times higher than what the Mexican government initially sought, as stated in their release. Garcia Luna is required to pay around $749 million, while his wife, Linda Christina Pereira, is responsible for an astonishing $1.74 billion.

The statement also noted that this ruling aligns with seven previous convictions against Garcia Luna and his wife, along with five of his companies for failing to appear in court.

To date, nearly $3 million has already been retrieved from assets, which include properties and businesses owned by the couple.

Garcia Luna, 56, was declared guilty in 2023 by a US court for accepting millions in bribes to permit the Sinaloa Cartel to transport significant amounts of cocaine. A judge in New York sentenced him to over 38 years in prison and imposed a $2 million fine.

Garcia Luna, who held a top security role in Mexico from 2001 to 2012, is the most prominent figure from the Mexican government to face a trial in the US.

He functioned as the country’s chief, akin to the FBI, from 2001 to 2006, later ascending to the Secretary of Public Security, essentially overseeing federal police and most counter-drug initiatives.

Considered the architect of the US-supported drug war initiated in 2006 by then-President Felipe Calderón, Garcia Luna left public office in 2012. He then moved to the US and secured a lucrative deal with the Mexican government, leveraging his extensive network.

In December 2019, he was apprehended in Dallas, Texas. The Mexican government has accused Garcia Luna’s family business of securing 30 public contracts worth over $745 million.

Moreover, the Mexican financial intelligence unit has alleged that these funds were sent abroad using tax havens, alongside the acquisition of properties in Florida and other assets.