**Primary Article: García Luna Accuses AMLO and Associates of Ties to Drug Leaders**
On September 17, 2024, Genaro García Luna, former head of the now-defunct Secretariat of Public Security during the administration of Felipe Calderón, accused President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and his associates of being linked to leaders of narcotics cartels. García Luna voiced these accusations in a handwritten letter from the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York, sent by his attorney César de Castro to Keegan Hamilton, an editor at a major publication.
García Luna stated that the dismantling of Mexico’s Federal Judicial Power (PJF) was designed to benefit criminals. He alleged that the Federal Prosecutor’s Office for the Eastern District of New York offered him a deal not to implicate criminals, but to target certain people and institutions to weaken Mexico. Days before his sentencing, set for October 9, 2024, García Luna maintained his innocence, claiming that his conviction was based on contradictory or fabricated statements from criminals and allegedly false information provided by the López Obrador administration.
The ex-official cited a letter from Sinaloa cartel leader Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, which purportedly mentioned a meeting with the Sinaloa governor Rubén Rocha Moya, as evidence of the current administration’s ties with organized crime. García Luna also alleged that he was recorded for over 2,000 hours by fellow inmates attempting to incriminate him and described his detention conditions as “inhumane.”
Federal Judge Brian M. Cogan of the Eastern District of New York denied a request for a new trial on August 7, 2024. García Luna’s lawyers had presented new purportedly exculpatory evidence, but Cogan stated that the arguments were insufficient for a new trial, noting that much of the evidence was either known or accessible before the original trial.
García Luna faces serious accusations, including three charges of conspiracy to traffic, import, and distribute cocaine; participating in a criminal enterprise (the Sinaloa Cartel); and making false statements. A guilty verdict on these charges could mean a minimum 20-year sentence or potentially life in prison. He was arrested on December 4, 2019, in Dallas, Texas, and has been detained at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Brooklyn since then.
García Luna’s defense team accused the López Obrador administration of obstructing his defense, including seizing properties and financial assets, and creating an environment of fear among potential witnesses. This affected the trial, resulting in a guilty verdict devoid of substantial evidence, according to the defense.
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**Secondary Article: Increased Scrutiny on Presidential Security Operations**
In a related development, security experts have voiced concerns about the operational integrity within the Mexican federal security apparatus. On September 10, 2024, Enrique Camacho, a security analyst, noted in a publication that the increased aggression from the current administration towards former officials could destabilize trust in governmental institutions. These comments have surfaced in light of the continuous allegations against high-ranking officials from the previous administration.
Furthermore, a confidential report leaked to the media on September 15, 2024, revealed that multiple federal officers were allegedly involved in illicit activities, further complicating the security landscape. This report suggested that the intertwining of organized crime with state security forces might be more pervasive than initially thought, leading to calls for a thorough investigation into all security personnel involved in recent drug seizures and captures.
As Mexico approaches its next election cycle, these revelations and ongoing trials might significantly influence voter sentiment and the international view on Mexico’s commitment to combating organized crime.