Puerto Vallarta, Mexico – In a bombshell accusation, former Mexican Secretary of Security, Genaro García Luna, currently imprisoned in New York, has alleged that President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) has maintained connections with organized crime leaders and their families. The claims were made in a letter allegedly written by García Luna, published by journalist Keegan Hamilton, which details the former official’s assertions about the Mexican president’s purported involvement with criminal elements.
The letter, reportedly authored by García Luna from his prison cell, states that there are official records in both Mexico and the United States containing videos, audios, photographs, and communication logs that allegedly link AMLO to leaders of organized crime. “It is public knowledge and is in the official records of Mexico and the United States: the contacts, videos, audios, photographs, communication records, and dealings between the current president of Mexico, Andrés López Obrador, and his operators with the leaders of drug trafficking and their families,” reads the letter signed by the former security chief during the presidency of Felipe Calderón.
García Luna, who served as Mexico’s top security official from 2006 to 2012, has been facing charges in the United States for his alleged involvement in receiving money from drug cartels, specifically for cooperating with the Sinaloa Cartel. His trial has captured the attention of both Mexican and international media, with his potential sentencing on October 9 expected to carry significant implications.
Judicial Reform and Cartel Connections
In his letter, García Luna points to AMLO’s judicial reforms as part of a broader pattern of collaboration with organized crime, citing a recent letter released by the lawyer of “El Mayo” Zambada, one of the leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel. In the letter, Zambada’s legal team made claims linking Rubén Rocha Moya, the governor of Sinaloa, to the cartel. García Luna uses this as an example of what he describes as López Obrador’s broader connections to criminal organizations.
García Luna’s accusations come at a time when López Obrador’s government has faced increasing criticism over its handling of security and organized crime. The “hugs, not bullets” policy, a key tenet of AMLO’s security strategy, has been widely criticized for its perceived leniency toward criminal groups.
Deal Rejected by García Luna
According to García Luna, he was offered a plea deal by the New York prosecutor’s office shortly after his arrest in 2019. He claims the deal would have involved him pleading guilty to drug-related crimes and cooperating as a witness in exchange for a reduced sentence of six months and financial benefits. García Luna stated he refused the offer, describing the prosecution’s strategy as one designed to destabilize Mexico’s institutions by targeting high-profile figures.
“The plan was to charge people and institutions that would weaken the development, public peace, and institutional life of the country in the short term. Obviously, I did not accept, and the reaction was explosive,” García Luna wrote in his letter.
The former official’s case has been built on the testimony of several high-ranking cartel members, including former associates of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, the notorious leader of the Sinaloa Cartel. These witnesses have claimed that García Luna took millions in bribes in exchange for allowing the cartel to operate with impunity in Mexico during his tenure. García Luna, however, insists that the evidence against him is insufficient and based on the unreliable testimonies of convicted criminals.
Inhumane Conditions in Prison
García Luna’s letter also details the harsh conditions he has endured during his nearly five-year detention at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn, New York. He described a brutal environment where he has allegedly witnessed murders, stabbings, and received continuous threats to his safety. He also claims to have spent almost a year in solitary confinement, despite maintaining good behavior.
“I have been detained at MDC Brooklyn for a period of 58 months, almost 5 years, in inhumane conditions. I have witnessed murders, stabbings, and systematic threats to my safety. I was segregated for almost a year to the punishment cells without having violated any rule or regulation and without having a record of bad behavior,” García Luna wrote.
He contends that the prosecution has failed to provide solid evidence to corroborate the accusations against him, relying instead on the testimonies of criminal witnesses. “Under these circumstances, without any evidence against me, with false information provided by the Government of Mexico and criminal witnesses, and with the absolute failure of the prosecutors to corroborate the existence and veracity of a single piece of information, the sentence will be carried out,” the letter concludes.
Sentencing Looms
García Luna, who once held one of the highest positions in Mexico’s federal government, could face life imprisonment when he is sentenced on October 9. His trial has been closely watched, as it involves not only the fate of a key figure from Mexico’s war on drugs but also broader questions about the links between Mexico’s political elite and organized crime.
The case has drawn parallels to the sentencing of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, the former head of the Sinaloa Cartel, who is serving a life sentence handed down by the same judge, Brian Cogan, in 2019. The outcome of García Luna’s case is expected to be a significant milestone in Mexico’s ongoing fight against corruption and drug-related violence.
In his closing remarks, García Luna reiterated his accusations against AMLO, alleging that the president’s relationship with organized crime figures, including those who testified against him, is a clear sign of corruption at the highest levels of government. While AMLO’s administration has not yet responded to these accusations, the letter has added another layer of controversy to an already complex and politically charged case.
As the October 9 sentencing date approaches, all eyes remain on the courtroom in Brooklyn, where the former security secretary will face the consequences of the charges brought against him.
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - In a bombshell accusation, former Mexican Secretary of Security, Genaro García Luna, currently imprisoned in New York, has alleged that President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) has maintained connections with organized crime leaders and their families. The claims were made in a letter allegedly written by García Luna, published by journalist Keegan Hamilton, which details the former official’s assertions about the Mexican president’s purported involvement with criminal elements.
