Florida Court Slaps Ex-Mexican Security Chief with Massive Civil Judgment
A Florida court has imposed a significant civil judgment against former Mexican security chief Genaro García Luna, who is imprisoned in the U.S. for accepting bribes from drug traffickers. The verdict demands García Luna to pay over $748 million, while his wife must surrender more than $1.7 billion.
In a landmark decision, a Florida court awarded Mexico a substantial civil judgment against its former security chief, Genaro García Luna, now serving a lengthy U.S. prison term for accepting bribes from drug cartels. The court ruling came after it was revealed that García Luna, appointed by former President Felipe Calderón, received millions in bribes to safeguard the notorious Sinaloa cartel.
García Luna and his wife, Linda Cristina Pereyra, were ordered by Judge Lisa Walsh to compensate collectively over $2.4 billion. García Luna, sentenced to over 38 years last October, had been convicted in New York in 2023, marking him as the highest-level Mexican official convicted in the U.S. His post-office life in Florida saw him involved in controversial businesses accused of receiving inflated government contracts.
The lawsuit, filed in September 2021, unveiled García Luna's network of dubious contracts and false financial dealings, including channelling funds to offshore accounts and acquiring luxury properties and vehicles. The court's decision reflects the international legal consequences faced by corrupt officials who abuse power for personal gain.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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