### U.S. Prosecutors Request Life Sentence for García Luna and $5 Million Fine
On September 19, 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice formally requested a life sentence for Genaro García Luna, the former head of the now-defunct Secretariat of Public Security (SSP) under the administration of Felipe Calderón from December 1, 2006, to November 30, 2012. Prosecutor Breon Peace urged Judge Brian M. Cogan from the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, through a detailed nine-page letter, to sentence García Luna on October 9, 2024, citing the severity of his crimes and additionally imposing a fine of at least $5 million.
“A sum of millions of dollars enabled the accused to facilitate a conspiracy that resulted in the deaths of thousands of Mexican and American citizens,” stated the U.S. prosecutors. “It’s hard to overstate the magnitude of the accused’s crimes, the deaths and addictions they fostered, and his betrayal of the peoples of Mexico and the United States.”
The prosecutors recalled how under García Luna’s leadership, the Federal Police (PF) not only allowed the Sinaloa Cartel to operate but also supplied them with weapons and uniforms, protecting their hitmen when they executed rivals.
Peace emphasized that life imprisonment is a proportional punishment for the significant roles García Luna held in Mexico, particularly during Vicente Fox Quesada’s and Felipe Calderón’s administrations. The request also highlighted García Luna’s lack of remorse and continued criminal behavior while in custody, which included attempting to bribe other inmates to obstruct justice.
García Luna has been detained at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Correctional Center since his arrest on December 4, 2019, in Dallas, Texas. He faces multiple charges including participation in a continuing criminal enterprise, international cocaine distribution, cocaine importation conspiracy, and making false statements.
### Related News: Former Honduran President Receives 45-Year Sentence for Drug Trafficking
In a similar case, former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández Alvarado was sentenced in New York to 45 years in prison and fined $8 million for drug trafficking-related charges. Hernández, who served two terms from January 27, 2014, to January 27, 2022, was found guilty of similar crimes to those of García Luna, further solidifying the severity of drug-related corruption in high government positions.
### In Tijuana: Armed Attack Leaves Two Dead
On the same day, an armed confrontation in Tijuana’s Postal neighborhood resulted in the deaths of two individuals. Tijuana continues to grapple with violence linked to organized crime, reflecting the broader issues of drug and gang-related violence that extend beyond its borders.
Stay tuned for more updates at TJGringo.com.