García Luna’s Attempt to Secure a New Trial Fails
A U.S. judge rejected a request for a new trial from Genaro García Luna, a former high-ranking Mexican official, after finding that he attempted to bribe fellow inmates to provide false statements in support of his case. García Luna, who once served as Mexico’s top public safety official, was convicted last year of accepting bribes to protect drug cartels. He has denied the charges and is awaiting sentencing.
Allegations of Jailhouse Bribery
U.S. District Judge Brian Cogan ruled on Wednesday that García Luna engaged in a clear scheme to obstruct justice by offering bribes to fellow inmates. The ruling came after prosecutors presented evidence, including handwritten notes from a former cellmate and a covert recording of a conversation with García Luna. The former official’s lawyers argued that the allegations were unfounded and that the recording was ambiguous, but the judge found the evidence credible.
“This was a clear scheme by defendant to obstruct justice through bribery,” Judge Cogan wrote in his decision.
Defense Claims Rejected
In addition to the bribery allegations, García Luna’s defense team argued for a new trial based on claims that some prosecution witnesses gave false testimony and that the defense was not provided with potentially exculpatory evidence. However, Judge Cogan dismissed these arguments as well, leaving García Luna without the possibility of a new trial.
“We are extraordinarily disappointed with the court’s decision,” said defense lawyer César de Castro, adding that “the court did not address fundamental problems with this prosecution.” García Luna plans to appeal the ruling.
Prosecutors and Defense at Odds
Prosecutors declined to comment on the judge’s decision. However, they had previously countered the defense’s claims by noting that the inmate who provided a sworn statement in support of García Luna suffered from a psychotic disorder with hallucinations. The prosecutors also asserted that García Luna offered up to $2 million to other inmates to corroborate false claims about communications among government witnesses.
Despite these efforts, the judge found no evidence that García Luna’s defense team was aware of his bribery attempts.
García Luna’s Conviction and Sentencing
García Luna, 56, was convicted of multiple charges, including engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise. His conviction stems from his tenure as Mexico’s public security secretary from 2006 to 2012, during which he was accused of accepting payoffs to shield drug cartels. He faces a potential sentence of 20 years to life in prison, with sentencing scheduled for October 9.
