The United States Attorney’s Office plans to conclude its drug trafficking indictment against Genaro García Luna next week, but not before taking the stand in the Eastern District Court of New York to a witness you consider relevant, and show evidence of the wealth that the former Secretary of Public Security of Mexico possessed -being an official.
There are two documents with which the prosecutors announced to the judge Brian M Cogan that his arguments against the Mexican will end at the beginning of next week: In one the presence of a significant prosecution witness is noted, who has not been identified, and another lists the evidence that would show that García Luna already had a luxurious lifestyle since he worked in the federal government.
In the latter, photographs of the residences of the former head of the Federal Investigation Agency (AFI) in Jiutepec, Morelos, and in Mexico City are listed; images of a yacht, Mustang, Land Rover, and Lamborghini brand vehicles, and Harley Davidson motorcycles; as well as an Excel sheet that accounts for a collection of weapons, along with their respective permits.
Other evidence would be the photos of the Café Los Cedros restaurant, owned by the wife of Genaro García, and information taken from the Blackberry phone of the former public servant, highlighting the contacts with Ramón Pequeno García and Facundo Rosas, the first, former head of the anti-drug division of the extinct Federal Police, and the second, former commissioner of that same corporation.
star witness
The prosecutors do not detail who will be the significant witness that they will present before finalizing their argument, although -considering the list that the judge in the case had previously authorized- one of the names being considered is that of Jesus Reynaldo Zambada Garcia, alias the “King Zambada”, who participated accusing Joaquín Guzmán Loera, “El Chapo” Guzmán, during the trial in which he was sentenced in 2019 to life imprisonment, plus 30 years in prison.
In fact, García Luna’s lawyer, Cesar de Castro, He had already tried, unsuccessfully, to oppose this testimony, arguing that Zambada’s statements are not credible, due to his long criminal record.
However, Judge Cogan denied the suppression of this witness, responding to García Luna’s defense that, in his case, he will have the opportunity to ask him in order to question the veracity of what the brother of the leader of the Sinaloa cartel, Ismael Mario Zambada García, the “Mayo Zambada”.
“King Zambada” is a drug trafficker who was arrested in Mexico in 2008and extradited to the United States in 2012, just when Genaro García Luna was head of the federal Ministry of Public Security, in the administration of the president Felipe Calderon.
This criminal was the star witness of the US Attorney’s Office against “Chapo” Guzmán, and it was during this process that he assured that García Luna was allegedly bribed by the Sinaloa cartel with two payments of three and five million dollars.
In turn, it is also possible for prosecutors to present to Edgar Valdez Villarreal, the “Barbie”to testify against the former Secretary of Public Security, despite the fact that -until now- he has not been mentioned in any of the documents that make up the process file.
As will be recalled, since November 2022, Valdez Villarreal was no longer in the custody of the US Federal Bureau of Prisons, since he was transferred to a prison that is not managed by that unit, with which it is presumed that he would have been taken to a nearby prison. to New York so that he could testify against Genaro García Luna.
The “Barbie” was extradited to the United States in 2015, five years after her arrest in Mexico. In 2018, he pleaded guilty to trafficking cocaine to that country, and carrying out operations with resources of illicit origin, for which he was sentenced to 49 years in prison.
turn for defense
At the end of the work of the US Attorney’s Office, the period opens for the lawyers representing Genaro García to argue their defense. At this stage of the trial, witnesses may be summoned in his favour, and even The possibility of the defendant himself taking the stand to testify is already being explored.
Cesar de Castro, who leads the lawyers who defend the former official, told the press that this is an option that the former head of the AFI would be considering, because if he decides to give his testimony, at the same time he agrees to be questioned by prosecutors. which is not always appropriate if what is intended is to prove the innocence of the declarant.
At this point, given that no material evidence has been shown to strengthen the accusation, but only indications, through testimonies of convicted persons, of the alleged collaboration of García Luna with drug gangs, everything indicates that the trial will conclude before the 8 weeks foreseen at the beginning of the trial.
For the former official, the coin is in the air, since it is the citizen juries, who have no legal education, who will decide if he is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, or if he is innocent of all or of any of the five charges that weigh against him.
Genaro García Luna, 54, is on trial for allegedly participating in a continuing criminal enterprise (organized crime); conspire to distribute, import and possess cocaine; and making false statements, crimes for which he could receive a sentence of between 20 years in prison and life in prison.
MORE NEWS:
surya palaces Journalist and lawyer, specialist in legal analysis and human rights. She has been a reporter, radio host and editor.