Trial shows effect of graft on drug war

NEW YORK – In the same Brooklyn courthouse where jurors have heard testimony about Mexican politicians protecting Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman’s drug empire, a former Mexican state attorney general pleaded guilty last month to taking bribes from narcotraffickers.

The juxtaposition underscored a recurring theme of Guzman’s New York trial: how pervasive official corruption in Mexico complicates American authorities’ efforts to investigate and apprehend those involved in the drug trade.

Jurors are expected to begin deliberating Monday after 11 weeks of testimony that included a parade of Guzman’s former associates who told of massive bribes paid to high-level officials.

“The corruption has been rampant, and it’s systemic,” said Arturo Fontes, a former FBI agent who spent years investigating Guzman’s drug syndicate.