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The former head of Mexico's federal police is facing a life sentence in prison after being found to be on the payroll of the notorious drug lord Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman.
Genaro Garcia Luna was tasked with destroying with drug cartels plaguing Mexico at a time where the government had officially pursued dismantling organised crime in the country.
The 54-year-old was secretly on the payroll of the cartel kingpin, who in return for the protection he received, rewarded Garcia Luna with millions.
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He was found guilty on Tuesday (February 14) of several charges and is now facing a life sentence which captured his former employer four years ago.
Nine former cartel members took the stand to testify against Garcia Luna as they stated that he made masses of money working with the organised crime network.
Witnesses testified that he was taking millions in bribes from the Sinaloa drug cartel, formerly led by El Chapo.
Sergio Villarreal Barragan, a former federal police officer, claimed that Garcia Luna and his associates were paid up to $230million (£190million) after he was promoted to the role of security chief of Mexico.
The former cartel members at the trial stated that the shamed Garcia Luna provided Sinaloa members with the official uniforms, badges and vehicles of the Mexican federal police.
Barragan recounted in court, that one time he had helped El Chapo intercept a rival gang's shipment of cocaine.
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Drug bosses arrived at a warehouse with two tons of the class A drug and had agreed to divide the profits evenly.
The former government official then walked away with about $16million (£13million) in cash.
'There were so many boxes they didn’t fit in their SUV,' Barragan had told the court.
After initially being arrested in 2019, Garcia Luna became the highest-ranking Mexican official to ever face trial in the U.S. on drug-trafficking charges.
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- El Chapo
- Drugs
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