Genaro García Luna, former Secretary of Public Security and the highest-ranking official prosecuted in the United States, was sentenced to just over 38 years (460 months) in prison, avoiding the maximum sentence of life imprisonment sought by prosecutors from the U.S. Department of Justice.
The sentence, imposed by Judge Brian Cogan, also includes a $2 million fine for the former official, who was arrested on December 19, 2019, in Dallas, Texas.
On February 21, 2023, a jury found García Luna guilty on five drug trafficking charges against him, alleging he received millions of dollars from the Sinaloa cartel in exchange for protection during his tenure as Secretary of Public Security during Felipe Calderón's administration and as head of the federal police during Vicente Fox's administration.
Prosecutors had sought the maximum sentence, charging that García Luna “lied and betrayed his colleagues, U.S. public safety, and the Mexican public. Simply put, the defendant chose greed and corruption over the well-being of the citizens of Mexico and the United States.”
Negotiations with the Department of Justice for a reduced sentence in exchange for cooperation against other potential defendants are not ruled out.
Just this week, the former official sent a letter to Judge Brian Cogan asking for clemency and insisting that he is "a good man" and has never had any ties to drug trafficking.
