Imprisoned former Mexican minister, now in the United States, ordered to pay billions to Mexico in sentencing. - U.S Court Convicts Previous Mexican Minister Previously Convicted of Paying Billions to Mexico
In a significant case of international corruption and money laundering, a high-ranking former Mexican government official has been sentenced to pay billions of dollars to Mexico. Genaro García Luna, who served as Mexico's Minister of Public Security from 2006 to 2012, was convicted of cocaine trafficking and corruption in the United States in 2023.
The ex-minister, now serving over 38 years in a U.S. federal prison, was ordered to pay nearly $749 million as part of a civil lawsuit filed by the Mexican government. His wife, Linda Cristina Pereyra, was ordered to pay $1.74 billion. These amounts are triple the initial demand by Mexico and far surpass the nearly $3 million already seized from their assets and properties.
The ruling aligns with seven guilty verdicts issued against García Luna, his wife, and his five companies, with all parties failing to appear in court. The verdicts and the recent payment order come amidst allegations of collaboration between García Luna and the infamous Sinaloa cartel, led by Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán. Investigations by the New York federal prosecutor's office revealed that García Luna accepted bribes totaling millions of dollars in exchange for inside information about law enforcement operations, arrests, and the placement of corrupt officials.
During his tenure as Mexico's top security official, García Luna was instrumental in the U.S.-backed war on drugs but is now known for aiding criminal organizations instead of combating them. In exchange for bribes, he facilitated the smuggling of at least 53 tons of cocaine into the United States since 2001, resulting in thousands of deaths in both countries.
After leaving public service in 2012, García Luna moved to the U.S., where he secured lucrative government contracts using his extensive contacts until his arrest in December 2019. Furthermore, he and his wife were accused of orchestrating an extensive money laundering and corruption scheme involving fraudulent government contracts and a network of shell companies. According to court documents, García Luna leveraged his government position to secure over $250 million in contracts through bribery and bid-rigging, funneling public funds into luxury real estate, properties, and tax havens.
The Mexican government's Financial Intelligence Unit reported that the money was transferred abroad using tax havens and the purchase of properties and other assets in Florida. In May 2025, a civil court in Miami issued a landmark judgment ordering García Luna to pay $748 million and his wife $1.74 billion, totaling over $2.4 billion in damages to the Mexican government. This ruling underscores the massive scale of the corruption and money laundering scheme linked to García Luna.
In summary, Genaro García Luna's fall from grace as a key architect of Mexico's war on drugs to a convicted criminal represents one of the most significant corruption and drug trafficking cases involving a former Mexican government official in U.S. history. The extended prison sentence, astronomical fines, and civil judgment all underscore the severe consequences of his actions.
In the world of finance and politics, Genaro García Luna's extensive money laundering and corruption scheme, involving both drug trafficking and criminal connections, revealed a troubling link between a high-ranking official and notorious criminals. This case, positioned under general news and crime-and-justice categories, serves as a stark reminder of the impact of corruption on the security and economy of nations, particularly the United States and Mexico.
