The drug trafficker Jesús “El Rey” Zambada García assured this Monday that he paid at least 5 million dollars in 2006 to the former Secretary of Public Security of Mexico Genaro García Lunawhen he ran the Federal Investigation Agency.
The King stated that he made two payments: one of 3 million dollars and a second of 2 million dollars to García Luna at the Los Campos Elíseos restaurantthrough the lawyer Oscar Paredes, who also worked for the Sinaloa cartel.
According to Zambada, Paredes told him: “Look, I have the chance to have a meeting with Genaro García Luna and talk (talk) with him.”
He described Paredes this Monday as the person in charge of maintaining contacts with those responsible for government institutions and paying bribes to high officials.
According to The King, Paredes told him that there was already talk that García Luna was going to be appointed as the new Secretary of Public Security with the arrival of the Government of Felipe Calderón (2006-2012) and that it was important to speak with him to obtain protection for Ismael Zambada Garcíaalias “El Mayo”, one of the leaders of the Sinaloa cartel and brother of El Rey.
In the first meeting, which according to him occurred in late 2006, El Rey gave Oscar Paredes three million dollars in a briefcase and a sports bag, and Paredes handed it over to García Luna in a reserved room of the restaurant.
The King, who assured that he preferred to remain anonymous, stayed in the bar, from where he saw García Luna enter with two companions; fifteen and twenty minutes later, they left with the money.
After that meeting, Paredes, who worked directly for El Mayo, He said that García Luna had guaranteed him that he would not persecute or investigate El Mayo and that he would let him work as before.
at another time, El Rey commented that he knew that the Sinaloa cartel paid García Luna $1.5 million a month.
In November 2018, during the drug trafficking trial against Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, El Rey already accused García Luna of accepting bribes from the Sinaloa cartel.
García Luna declines to take the stand
Genaro García Luna, clarified this Monday that he will not speak in the trial that is ongoing against him in the Federal Court of the Eastern District of New York for drug trafficking, which is already entering its final stretch.
It was the first time that his voice could be heard in the roomwhen Judge Brian Cogan wanted to ratify his desire not to testify: “Yes sir, it’s my decision,” said García Luna, and when Cogan insisted, he confirmed his words: “Yes sir, that’s right.”
He was dressed in a dark suit and tie, as has been the usual pattern during the trial, since Judge Cogan granted him the courtesy of not appearing in prison uniform, as is usually the case with remand prisoners.
Using his right not to incriminate himself, García Luna, who was Secretary of Security between 2006 and 2012, thus avoids making himself available to the Prosecutor’s Office, which could pepper him with questions, since the moment he says he wants to testify, both parties -defense and Prosecutor’s Office- can ask as many details as they want.
Accused of four counts of drug trafficking, García Luna (54 years old) has been talkative during the process and, on many occasions, in a good mood; although also with a serious face and very attentive to the testimonies of his accusers, especially when the turn fell on the questions of his defense team.
From his seat, opposite and to the left of Judge Brian Cogan, together with his lawyers César De Castro and Valerie Gotlib, García Luna has also taken notes, put on his reading glasses and exchanged views with his team.
And, above all, he has complied with his daily routine of greeting his wife, Linda Cristina Pereyra, every morning, blowing her a kiss and saying: “I love you.”
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