Everything is ready for Genaro García Luna to testify in the trial against him, but it still remains to be confirmed that he will do so; Judge Cogan placed certain limitations on prosecutors, who could ask about the wealth of the former Secretary of Public Safety, under certain conditions.
By Jesus Garcia
New York, February 10 (La Opinión).– It still remains to be confirmed that Genaro García Luna, former Secretary of Public Security Mexican accused of drug trafficking, go to give testimony in the trial against him, but the Judge Brian Cogan has already set limits on federal prosecutors.
Although the Judge will not allow the presentation of evidence on the enrichment of García Luna after 2012, the defendant himself could open the door in the cross-examination.
Prior to this decision, the judge had authorized the prosecutors to address certain aspects of García Luna’s properties or actions, as long as they were a “continuation” of events that occurred before 2012.
#breaking Judge Brian Cogan limits prosecutors to questioning García Luna about enrichment after 2012. Note:
– It is not confirmation that he will testify. We will know by Monday at the latest.
– The judge seeks to keep the trial fair (Rule 403). pic.twitter.com/DkIiiW7hVU— Jesus Garcia (@JesusGar) February 10, 2023
If the prosecutors manage to establish the importance of a particular question, the Judge could allow it, even if the fact or reference is after the mentioned year.
The limitations of the Judge are because the investigation that substantiates the accusations against him is from 2001 to 2012.
One of the great triumphs of the defense led by César de Castro is having limited the addressing of García Luna’s wealth after 2012, since Judge Cogan considered that it did not correspond to the period in which he was an official and would have had ties to drug trafficking. .
It must be remembered that García Luna is accused of leading a criminal enterprise for a long period, he has three counts of conspiracy for drug trafficking and one more for lying to immigration authorities in his naturalization process.
23/ The court’s special investigator, George Dietz, will continue on Monday exposing findings on Garcia Luna’s computer and other electronic devices. Prosecutors asked Judge Cogan to accept additional evidence from those teams.https://t.co/ZVEq3pOGm9
— Jesus Garcia (@JesusGar) February 10, 2023
WHO WILL BE THE “IMPORTANT WITNESS”?
The federal prosecutors leading the trial Genaro Garcia Lunaformer Mexican Secretary of Public Security, surprised in the Brooklyn-based Eastern District Court by stating that they were in the final stage of the process and that they had a last resort, an “important witness”.
It is officially unknown who that character would be, but given the development of the judicial process, the mentions in court by US agents, as well as cooperating witnesses and a protected witness, there are three possible names.
The following order is alphabetical taking into account the nicknames of possible witnesses, so it does not determine who would be the most likely to be called to testify next Monday.
THE NARCO “THE BARBIE”
Edgar Valdez Villarreal, aka “La Barbie” was arrested in Mexico in 2010during the period in which García Luna was the maximum head of the Mexican Federal Police, and in the midst of the war between drug cartels.
“La Barbie” was a member of the Beltrán Leyva Organization and, by then (2009), Arturo Beltrán Leyva –who would have had a close relationship with García Luna– had been killed.
Valdez Villarreal was mentioned on several occasions in the trial of Genaro García Luna, including as one of the attendees at the meetings that the former government official of Felipe Calderon had with leaders of different criminal organizations.
“La Barbie” caused a media impact when she smiled the day she was presented to public opinion after her arrest, in addition to having revealed in a letter García Luna’s ties to drug cartels, in exchange for million-dollar payments.
It stands out that a few months ago “La Barbie” left the custody of the United States Bureau of Prisons, something that can happen with cooperating witnesses and protected witnesses, after a collaboration agreement with prosecutors in some case.
THE EXPOLICEMAN “LA REINA”
On February 9, 2022, Iván Reyes Arzate, alias “La Reina”, He was sentenced to 10 years in prisonafter pleading guilty to drug trafficking and conspiring with organized crime, betraying the DEA and Mexican authorities.
The sentence was imposed by Judge Brian Cogan and exceeded the defense request, which requested a maximum of five years for the former commander of the Federal Police Investigation Unit (SIU).
At that time, the prosecutors who handled his case assured that Reyes-Arzate would not cooperate with other judicial processes, but that was left in doubt, since the sentencing documents were sealed and both the prosecutors and the defense had a private discussion with the Judge Cogan about it at the time, as this journalist testified.
“The Queen” acknowledged that she received up to three million dollars in exchange for helping the Beltrán Leyva Organization.
The name of Reyes Arzate has emerged at various times in the García Luna trial, including mentions by prosecutors to establish the alleged criminal organization that the former Mexican secretary would have led from the government, something that began during the Vicente Fox administration.
At García Luna’s trial, FBI agent José Moreno mentioned Reyes Arzate as the commander to whom information was shared on the exact location of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman in a failed operation in February 2012, but which the federal police did not arrive on time.
At that time, the “mini-cartel” presumably led by García Luna from the federal government was already protecting the Sinaloa Cartel, according to investigations.
“La Reina” would be the only witness who would have worked closely with the former Mexican official.
“THE KING” ZAMBADA
Jesús “El Rey” Zambada García was one of the leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel and he was the first to publicly state that he gave millions of dollars directly to García Luna. He did it during the trial of “El Chapo” Guzmán, when the drug trafficker’s defense addressed corruption in Mexico.
In the García Luna trial, the name “El Rey” arose from the first day with the testimony of Sergio Villarreal Barragán, alias “El Grande”, who described how the brother of Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada controlled drug trafficking at the Mexico City Airport.
DEA agent Miguel Madrigal also told the jury that “El Rey” Zambada had a close relationship with people close to García Lunalike Édgar Bayardo, who was then commander of the Mexican Police and whom he saw in a video meeting with Zambada.
“El Grande”, who was a member of the Beltrán Leyva Organization, said that when García Luna decided to support the leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel, a war broke out and part of it led to the arrest of “El Rey”, a hands of “El Grande” himself disguised as an element of the judicial police and in collaboration with real agents.
There are names of other characters that are mentioned, including “El Chapo” Guzmán -whom the government has denied several motions-, and even Ramón García Pequeño, also a former police commander who is on the run.
