New Trial Denied for Genaro García Luna in New York; To Be Sentenced for Drug Trafficking

It was Judge Brian Cogan who denied the former police chief's request for a new trial.

On the morning of Wednesday, August 7, it was announced that former police chief during Felipe Calderón's presidency, Genaro García Luna, was denied a new trial by Judge Brian Cogan, maintaining his sentence for drug trafficking charges.

What is García Luna Accused of in the U.S.?

U.S. journalist Keegan Hamilton released documents dated August 6, showing that Brian Cogan, the same judge who sentenced Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, concluded that the arguments presented by the former Public Security Secretary were insufficient for a new trial, thereby confirming the date for his sentencing.

"The government proved that García Luna accepted bribes to facilitate and benefit from the activities of the Sinaloa Cartel," the documents revealed.

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On February 21, after three days of deliberation, the jury reached a verdict in the trial against Genaro García Luna. After about 18 hours in the deliberation room, the 12-member jury found the former Mexican official guilty of the five charges he faced in the United

States:
• International conspiracy to distribute cocaine: GUILTY
• Conspiracy to distribute and possess: GUILTY
• Conspiracy to import cocaine: GUILTY
• Organized crime: GUILTY
• False statements: GUILTY

When is García Luna's Sentencing Date in the U.S.?

As part of García Luna's legal defense strategy, attorney César de Castro submitted a request to annul the trial that concluded in February 2023, where a guilty verdict was reached against the so-called "supercop." The lawyer argued that his client was a political target, rendering the trial impartial.

Initially, June 24, 2023, was set as the date to read the five drug trafficking charges against García Luna. However, the judge at the Federal Court of the Eastern District in Brooklyn accepted a motion to postpone the event.

Given this scenario, Brian Cogan approved the request and set October 9, 2024, as the new date to announce the penalty García Luna will face. Being found criminally responsible for these crimes, García Luna could face a minimum sentence of 20 years in prison or a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

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