Page 12 - AT

A12 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 12 december 2019

Ex-Mexico security chief long haunted by corruption claims

By MARK STEVENSON Also in 2012, rife drug cor-
MARIA VERZA ruption in the federal po-
Associated Press lice force burst into the
Mexico City (AP) — Mexi- open when one federal of-
co’s former security chief ficer opened fire on his col-
was dogged by so many leagues at Mexico City’s
allegations of corruption international airport.
and wrongdoing for so And finally, in 2012, 14 Mex-
long that some said it was ican agents under Garcia
only a matter of time be- Luna’s command opened
fore he would be arrested. fire on an SUV carrying two
What amazed some was U.S. CIA agents near Mex-
that it took so long, and ico City after Mexican of-
that Genaro García Luna’s ficials claimed their agents
arrest this week came on mistook the Americans’
U.S. soil rather than in Mex- vehicle for one driven by
ico. gang members.
García Luna, 51, who left Despite all that, Mexico
the security post near- security analyst Alejandro
ly a decade ago, was Hope noted, the U.S. gov-
charged in federal court in ernment apparently vet-
New York with three counts ted Garcia Luna, praised
of trafficking cocaine and In this June 2, 2011 file photo, Mexico’s Genaro Garcia Luna speaks during a ceremony to the drug busts he carried
one count of making false designate June 2 as the Federal Police Day in Mexico City. out and allowed him to
statements. He was ar- Associated Press live in the United States for
rested Monday outside about seven years before
Dallas and at his initial ap- charging him.
pearance Tuesday his bail On Wednesday morning, Before joining Calderon’s homeland. “Why now?” Hope asked.
hearing was set for Dec. President Andrés Manuel government, García Luna In 2008, banners began ap- While the accusations
17. He moved to the U.S. in López Obrador, who has led Mexico’s equivalent pearing across the country have long been out there,
2012 and has been living in made eradicating corrup- of the FBI, the Federal In- claiming García Luna was it was unclear whether
Florida. tion a pillar of his admin- vestigative Agency, under working for the Sinaloa car- the timing of the charges
“This wasn’t a surprise,” istration, said his govern- President Vicente Fox. tel. could be explained by
said Samuel González, ment would assist the U.S. For José Reveles, a journal- Reveles, who was then some unknown deal within
who served as Mexico’s with its case in any way ist and author of several covering the Congress and the complex U.S.-Mexico
chief organized crime possible. He said banks books on organized crime, had access to documents, relationship on drug traf-
prosecutor in a prior ad- had already been asked García Luna was “the om- said that in 2008 Mexican ficking or if it stemmed
ministration. González said to provide financial infor- nipotent cop of Vicente lawmakers took closed- from testimony in the U.S.
he turned down offers to mation for the Attorney Fox and later Felipe Calde- door testimony from fed- trial of notorious drug boss
work with García Luna in General’s Office. ron.” He was an official eral agents that García Joaquin “El Chapo” Guz-
the 2000s, noting that “it “It reaffirms that the coun- few dared to clash with, Luna’s convoy had been man.
wasn’t a question of if, but try’s principle problem was Reveles added, and the intercepted in the state Guzmán was tried in New
rather when” Garcia Luna corruption,” Lopez Ob- questions that have arisen of Morelos by members of York in 2018. At his trial, for-
would be charged. rador said. “Imagine the about him are numerous. the Beltran Leyva cartel, mer cartel member Jesus
García Luna was public authorities responsible for Reveles said that in 2005, which had broken from the Zambada testified that he
safety secretary in Presi- security bribed. Now what during the Fox administra- Sinaola cartel. The agents personally made at least $6
dent Felipe Calderon’s guarantee is there for citi- tion, agents from the Fed- reported that García Luna million in hidden payments
Cabinet from 2006 to 2012, zens if there is no boundary eral Investigative Agency was taken to meet with Ar- to García Luna on behalf
playing a key role in setting between authorities and “were capturing Zetas turo Beltran Lleyva, one of of his older brother, cartel
the government’s secu- criminals? If authorities are (members of a rival cartel) the cartel’s leaders, Rev- boss Ismael “El Mayo” Zam-
rity strategy during some of working for criminals there and turning them over to eles said. García Luna de- bada, in 2005-2007.
the worst and most embar- is no possibility of guaran- the Sinaloa cartel.” Anti- nied all of it. “I believe he enriched him-
rassing moments of bloody teeing peace and tran- drug prosecutor Santiago A 2011 Televisa telenovela self, but I don’t know if it
drug war that resulted in quility.” As security chief, Vasconcelos made that called “The Team” that was from that (drug cartel
the deaths of over 100,000 García Luna was widely accusation public, but lat- portrayed federal police bribes),” Hope said.
people and tens of thou- feared and in charge of er died in a plane crash. as crime-fighting heroes If so, it was extreme arro-
sands more missing. Mexico’s federal police In December of that year, was allegedly the brain- gance or stupidity, Hope
Calderon tweeted Tues- and the rest of the civilian García Luna’s agents de- child of García Luna and said. He said there are a lot
day night that he knew security apparatus, giv- tained French citizen Flor- financed with government of ways a Cabinet secre-
nothing about the accu- ing him unrivaled access ence Cassez and held her money. The honest, well- tary with budget authority
sations against his former to intelligence about law illegally until they could trained and brave officers and influence could enrich
security chief. He said his enforcement operations stage a media event. She portrayed on the show himself, but just one way
security policy was not and investigations that U.S. was paraded before TV were at odds with the pub- that would be guaranteed
made by any one official prosecutors say he shared cameras and forced to lic’s longstanding percep- to draw the ire of the U.S.
and was marked by a high with the Sinaloa cartel. participate in a staged, tion of Mexico’s police. government.
level of cooperation with Calderon’s administration televised reenactment of In 2012, arrested U.S. drug U.S. authorities said Tues-
the U.S. He said if the alle- was criticized at the time her capture. She was held gang leader Édgar Valdez day that García Luna had
gations were proven true, by many who argued it was for seven years on kidnap- Villarreal, alias “La Barbie,” amassed a fortune of mil-
it would represent a serious not as aggressive against ping charges, but was claimed in an open letter lions, well beyond what a
violation of the trust placed the Sinaloa cartel as it was released and became that he had paid off Gar- public servant could ex-
in Garcia Luna. against the gang’s rivals. a cause celebre in her cía Luna. pect to earn.q