Latest news with #GenaroGarciaLuna
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Yahoo
‘Supercop,' wife ordered to pay $2.4B to Mexican government
(NewsNation) — A former Mexican security chief who was convicted of drug trafficking and his wife were ordered to pay more than $2.4 billion to their home country in a judgment handed down by a Florida court, the Mexican government announced. Mexican officials sued Genaro Garcia Luna for alleged corruption and money laundering in 2021 involving dozens of public contracts. Garcia Luna is currently in prison in the United States, CBS News reported. The judgment against Garcia Luna and his wife is three times the original amount that the Mexican government was seeking. In the court order, Garcia Luna was ordered to pay $749 million, while his wife, Linda Cristina Pereyra, was ordered to pay the Mexican government $1.74 billion. Alaska attorney accused of cartel connections and drug charges The Florida court said that the judgment that was ordered is consistent with seven guilty verdicts that were previously issued and enforced against the couple and the five companies as a result of their failure to appear at trial, CBS News reported. Garcia Luna, 56, earned the nickname 'Supercop' for his role with the Mexican government but instead often aided and abetted drug trafficking operations. He was sentenced to spend 38 years in prison in the United States for taking bribes from drug traffickers, according to reports. Garcia Luna previously served as Mexico's secretary of public security and was convicted in 2023 of accepting millions in bribes to protect the Sinaloa cartel. NBC 6 in Florida reported that he is the highest-level Mexican government official to be convicted in the United States. He served in his capacity as security chief from 2006 to 12 and moved to Florida after leaving office. He worked as a consultant in Florida before he was arrested in 2019. He and his co-conspirators were said to have set up companies that accepted 30 dubious government contracts while he was serving as Mexico's top security chief, The Associated Press reported. Federal prosecutors said Garcia Luna used his authority in his government role to assist the Sinaloa cartel in exchange for millions of dollars in bribes. In exchange for the bribes, Garcia Luna's federal police chief provided bodyguards and escorts to the cartel, allowing Sinaloa members to wear police uniforms and badges and helped them upload shipments of cocaine from planes at Mexico City's airport, officials said. Officials allege that Garcia Luna used the money to finance a lavish lifestyle for himself and his co-conspirators that included real estate, bank accounts and vintage cars. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
U.S. court orders former "supercop," wife to pay $2.4 billion to Mexico
A Florida court on Thursday ordered a former Mexican security chief convicted of drug trafficking and his wife to pay more than $2.4 billion to their country, Mexico's government said. Mexico sued Genaro Garcia Luna, who is imprisoned in the United States, for alleged corruption and money laundering involving dozens of public contracts. The ruling is the latest twist in the saga of the former high-flying minister who earned himself the nickname of "supercop" but instead aided and abetted drug traffickers. The money awarded by a Florida court is three times the amount that the Mexican government had originally sought, a government statement said. It said Garcia Luna was ordered to pay nearly $749 million and his wife Linda Cristina Pereyra is to pay a staggering $1.74 billion. "The judgment is consistent with seven guilty verdicts previously issued and enforced against Garcia Luna, his wife, and his five companies as a result of their failure to appear at trial," the statement added. It said that nearly $3 million had already been recovered from assets, including a company owned by the couple, as well as real estate. Garcia Luna, 56, was convicted by a U.S. court in 2023 of taking millions of dollars in bribes to allow the Sinaloa Cartel to smuggle tons of cocaine. According to the U.S. Justice Department, former cartel members testified that bribe money was handed off to Garcia Luna in a variety of locations, including at a "safe house" where cash was hidden in a false wall, at a car wash and at a French restaurant across the street from the U.S. Embassy. Garcia Lina was paid in U.S. cash, "stuffed variously in suitcases, briefcases and duffel bags," prosecutors said. A New York judge sentenced him to more than 38 years in prison and a $2 million fine. During former Sinaloa kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman's trial in the same court in 2018, a former cartel member testified that he personally delivered at least $6 million in payoffs to García Luna, and that cartel members agreed to pool up to $50 million to pay for his protection. "El Chapo" is serving a life sentence in a maximum security prison in Colorado after being convicted in 2019 on charges including drug trafficking, money laundering and weapons-related offenses. Garcia Luna, who held high-ranking security positions in his country from 2001 until 2012, was the highest-ranking Mexican government figure ever to face trial in the United States. He served as chief of the Mexican equivalent of the FBI from 2001 until 2006, when he was elevated to secretary of public security, essentially running the federal police force and most counter-drug operations. Garcia Luna is considered an architect of the U.S.-backed war on drugs launched in 2006 by Mexico's then president Felipe Calderon. In 2012, after retiring from public service, he moved to the United States and used his extensive contacts to win lucrative contracts with the Mexican government. He was arrested in December 2019 in Dallas, Texas. The Mexican government accused a business conglomerate belonging to Garcia Luna's family of obtaining 30 public contracts and obtaining funds totaling more than $745 million. Mexico's Financial Intelligence Unit alleged that the money was transferred abroad through the use of tax havens and the acquisition of property and other assets in Florida. Garcia Luna was sentenced less than three months after the dramatic arrest on U.S. soil of Sinaloa Cartel co-founder Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, who claimed he had been kidnapped in Mexico and delivered into U.S. custody against his will. Zambada was detained along with Joaquin Guzman Lopez, a son of El Chapo. Trump confronts South African president during White House meeting, repeats genocide claims Trump takes questions during meeting with South African president Rubio, Jayapal have fiery exchange about Afrikaner refugee's antisemitic tweet, student visas
CBS News
23-05-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Florida court orders convicted "supercop" and wife to pay over $2.4 billion to Mexico after taking cartel bribes
How the FBI captured 2 leaders of the Sinaloa cartel A Florida court on Thursday ordered a former Mexican security chief convicted of drug trafficking and his wife to pay more than $2.4 billion to their country, Mexico's government said. Mexico sued Genaro Garcia Luna, who is imprisoned in the United States, for alleged corruption and money laundering involving dozens of public contracts. The ruling is the latest twist in the saga of the former high-flying minister who earned himself the nickname of "supercop" but instead aided and abetted drug traffickers. The money awarded by a Florida court is three times the amount that the Mexican government had originally sought, a government statement said. It said Garcia Luna was ordered to pay nearly $749 million and his wife Linda Cristina Pereyra is to pay a staggering $1.74 billion. Mexico's Genaro Garcia Luna speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Mexico City, Sept. 3, 2009. Dario Lopez-Mills / AP "The judgment is consistent with seven guilty verdicts previously issued and enforced against Garcia Luna, his wife, and his five companies as a result of their failure to appear at trial," the statement added. It said that nearly $3 million had already been recovered from assets, including a company owned by the couple, as well as real estate. Garcia Luna, 56, was convicted by a U.S. court in 2023 of taking millions of dollars in bribes to allow the Sinaloa Cartel to smuggle tons of cocaine. According to the U.S. Justice Department, former cartel members testified that bribe money was handed off to Garcia Luna in a variety of locations, including at a "safe house" where cash was hidden in a false wall, at a car wash and at a French restaurant across the street from the U.S. Embassy. Garcia Lina was paid in U.S. cash, "stuffed variously in suitcases, briefcases and duffel bags," prosecutors said. A New York judge sentenced him to more than 38 years in prison and a $2 million fine. During former Sinaloa kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman's trial in the same court in 2018, a former cartel member testified that he personally delivered at least $6 million in payoffs to García Luna, and that cartel members agreed to pool up to $50 million to pay for his protection. "El Chapo" is serving a life sentence in a maximum security prison in Colorado after being convicted in 2019 on charges including drug trafficking, money laundering and weapons-related offenses. Garcia Luna, who held high-ranking security positions in his country from 2001 until 2012, was the highest-ranking Mexican government figure ever to face trial in the United States. He served as chief of the Mexican equivalent of the FBI from 2001 until 2006, when he was elevated to secretary of public security, essentially running the federal police force and most counter-drug operations. Garcia Luna is considered an architect of the U.S.-backed war on drugs launched in 2006 by Mexico's then president Felipe Calderon. In 2012, after retiring from public service, he moved to the United States and used his extensive contacts to win lucrative contracts with the Mexican government. He was arrested in December 2019 in Dallas, Texas. The Mexican government accused a business conglomerate belonging to Garcia Luna's family of obtaining 30 public contracts and obtaining funds totaling more than $745 million. Linda Cristina Pereyra leaves federal court after her husband Genaro García Luna was found guilty of taking massive bribes to protect the violent drug cartels he was tasked with combating, Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023, in New York. John Minchillo / AP Mexico's Financial Intelligence Unit alleged that the money was transferred abroad through the use of tax havens and the acquisition of property and other assets in Florida. Garcia Luna was sentenced less than three months after the dramatic arrest on U.S. soil of Sinaloa Cartel co-founder Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, who claimed he had been kidnapped in Mexico and delivered into U.S. custody against his will. Zambada was detained along with Joaquin Guzman Lopez, a son of El Chapo.
NDTV
23-05-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Convicted Former 'Super Cop' And Wife To Pay Mexico Over $2.4 Billion
Mexico: A US court on Thursday ordered a former Mexican security chief convicted of drug trafficking and his wife to pay more than $2.4 billion to their country, Mexico's government said. Mexico sued Genaro Garcia Luna, who is imprisoned in the United States, for alleged corruption and money laundering involving dozens of public contracts. The ruling is the latest twist in the saga of the former high-flying minister who earned himself the nickname of "supercop" but instead aided and abetted drug traffickers. The money awarded by a Florida court is three times the amount that the Mexican government had originally sought, a government statement said. It said Garcia Luna was ordered to pay nearly $749 million and his wife Linda Cristina Pereyra is to pay a staggering $1.74 billion. "The judgment is consistent with seven guilty verdicts previously issued and enforced against Garcia Luna, his wife, and his five companies as a result of their failure to appear at trial," the statement added. It said that nearly $3 million had already been recovered from assets, including a company owned by the couple, as well as real estate. Garcia Luna, 56, was convicted by a US court in 2023 of taking millions of dollars in bribes to allow the Sinaloa Cartel to smuggle tons of cocaine. A New York judge sentenced him to more than 38 years in prison and a $2 million fine. Garcia Luna, who held high-ranking security positions in his country from 2001 until 2012, was the highest-ranking Mexican government figure ever to face trial in the United States. He served as chief of the Mexican equivalent of the FBI from 2001 until 2006, when he was elevated to secretary of public security, essentially running the federal police force and most counter-drug operations. Garcia Luna is considered an architect of the US-backed war on drugs launched in 2006 by Mexico's then president Felipe Calderon. In 2012, after retiring from public service, he moved to the United States and used his extensive contacts to win lucrative contracts with the Mexican government. He was arrested in December 2019 in Dallas, Texas. The Mexican government accused a business conglomerate belonging to Garcia Luna's family of obtaining 30 public contracts and obtaining funds totaling more than $745 million. Mexico's Financial Intelligence Unit alleged that the money was transferred abroad through the use of tax havens and the acquisition of property and other assets in Florida.
Malay Mail
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Malay Mail
US court orders convicted ‘super cop', wife to pay Mexico US$2.4b in corruption case penalty
MEXICO CITY, May 23 — A US court yesterday ordered a former Mexican security chief convicted of drug trafficking and his wife to pay more than US$2.4 billion (RM10.2 billion) to their country, Mexico's government said. Mexico sued Genaro Garcia Luna, who is imprisoned in the United States, for alleged corruption and money laundering involving dozens of public contracts. The ruling is the latest twist in the saga of the former high-flying minister who earned himself the nickname of 'supercop' but instead aided and abetted drug traffickers. The money awarded by a Florida court is three times the amount that the Mexican government had originally sought, a government statement said. It said Garcia Luna was ordered to pay nearly US$749 million and his wife Linda Cristina Pereyra is to pay a staggering US$1.74 billion. 'The judgment is consistent with seven guilty verdicts previously issued and enforced against Garcia Luna, his wife, and his five companies as a result of their failure to appear at trial,' the statement added. It said that nearly US$3 million had already been recovered from assets, including a company owned by the couple, as well as real estate. Garcia Luna, 56, was convicted by a US court in 2023 of taking millions of dollars in bribes to allow the Sinaloa Cartel to smuggle tons of cocaine. A New York judge sentenced him to more than 38 years in prison and a US$2 million fine. Garcia Luna, who held high-ranking security positions in his country from 2001 until 2012, was the highest-ranking Mexican government figure ever to face trial in the United States. He served as chief of the Mexican equivalent of the FBI from 2001 until 2006, when he was elevated to secretary of public security, essentially running the federal police force and most counter-drug operations. Garcia Luna is considered an architect of the US-backed war on drugs launched in 2006 by Mexico's then president Felipe Calderon. In 2012, after retiring from public service, he moved to the United States and used his extensive contacts to win lucrative contracts with the Mexican government. He was arrested in December 2019 in Dallas, Texas. The Mexican government accused a business conglomerate belonging to Garcia Luna's family of obtaining 30 public contracts and obtaining funds totaling more than US$745 million. Mexico's Financial Intelligence Unit alleged that the money was transferred abroad through the use of tax havens and the acquisition of property and other assets in Florida. — AFP
