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Florida court orders former Mexican security chief to pay billions for corruption

Friday 23 May 2025 - 08:31

A court in Florida has ordered Genaro García Luna, Mexico's former public security chief, to pay more than $748 million to the Mexican government in a significant legal ruling tied to corruption and money laundering. García Luna, who served from 2006 to 2012, is already serving a 38-year sentence in the United States after being convicted of accepting bribes from the Sinaloa cartel.

This civil case, initiated by Mexico in 2021, accused García Luna and his associates, including his wife Linda Cristina Pereyra, of embezzling government funds and transferring the money to international locations, including the US and Barbados. Judge Lisa Walsh of Miami-Dade County ordered not only García Luna but also his wife to pay a combined total nearing $2.4 billion.

The complaint alleged that García Luna used stolen public funds to build a money-laundering network that financed luxury assets such as real estate, bank accounts, and classic cars. In parallel criminal proceedings, U.S. authorities charged him with using his position to protect the Sinaloa cartel, even providing official police uniforms to its members and helping move cocaine shipments to the U.S.

Despite pleading not guilty and portraying himself as a legitimate businessman, García Luna was convicted in February 2023 on charges including international drug trafficking. He was sentenced in October 2024.

Mexico's civil case further accused him of manipulating government contracts as part of a broader scheme to launder money, including inflated and falsified deals for surveillance equipment. García Luna remains the highest-ranking Mexican official ever convicted in the United States.

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