No bail for big Ex-Mexican official said to take cartel bribes
An ex-Mexican security chief accused of taking up to $5 million in bribes from a Sinaloa Cartel leader will have to stay behind bars until his next court date, a federal judge ruled Friday.
Lawyers for Genaro Garcia Luna had asked Brooklyn Federal Court Judge Robert Levy on Tuesday to release their client on $1 million bail. Levy said the bail application was not sufficient, but added that Luna could make his case again at a later date.
“He is not saying that [Luna] should remain detained. What he said was, at this point, it should be a stronger package. Maybe a package with properties that people are willing to put up,” said Luna’s defense lawyer
Cesar de Castro on Friday.
Luna, who served as Mexico’s secretary of public security, is charged with allowing the Sinaloa Cartel, under leader Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, to operate with impunity in exchange for cash while in office from 2006-2012.
He allegedly received the bribe of between $3 million and $5 million in cash from Sinaloa Cartel leader Rey Zambada in the 2000s at a restaurant.
In court Friday, prosecutors strenuously argued against bail for Luna, saying the ex-security honcho would flee to Mexico if released, and be protected by other corrupt officials.
“Once he’s in Mexico, either his family members or his web of former corrupt officials who he worked with or the Sinaloa Cartel will shield him,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Robotti said. “And this happens repeatedly in Mexico.”
Robotti declined Friday to name any of the former Mexican security officials who might provide sanctuary to Luna.
“We’re not going to stand up here and name officials that are under investigation,” Robotti said.
Luna’s defense team had offered a bail package that included a $1.2 million dollar property in Florida, as well as six people who would be financially responsible for the bail if Luna fled the country.