A New York court found a former leading Mexican police official guilty of taking millions of dollars in bribes from drug cartels.

Genaro Garcia Luna, 54, Mexico’s former Secretary of Public Safety, moved to the U.S. after his term ended in 2012 where he was arrested seven years later for working with the Sinaloa Cartel.

A federal jury in New York decided that a former top law enforcement official in Mexico took multi-million dollar bribes from the Sinaloa Cartel in exchange for protecting the criminal organization. https://t.co/N07ByZNoDS

— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) February 22, 2023

The case

"After days of deliberation and a three-week trial, the jury found him guilty of all counts. Garcia Luna is scheduled for sentencing in June where he could face a life term in prison," Breitbart News reported.

"According to the DOJ, Garcia Luna helped the Sinaloa Cartel move drug shipments by providing safe passage. He also leaked sensitive law enforcement information about investigations into his associates and helped the Sinaloa Cartel attack rivals," he added.

Genario Garcia Luna, a former law enforcement official once in charge of Mexico's fight against drug traffickers, was convicted on U.S. charges that he took millions of dollars in bribes from the Sinaloa cartel https://t.co/v4GxqsUSpu pic.twitter.com/scsi8ze3F6

— Reuters (@Reuters) February 22, 2023

What's next?

The convicted former police official now faces a prison term of at least 20 years, and possibly for the rest of his life. His sentencing is scheduled for June 27.

"Garcia Luna, who once stood at the pinnacle of law enforcement in Mexico, will now live the rest of his days having been revealed as a traitor to his country," Breon Peace, the top federal prosecutor in Brooklyn, said in a statement following the verdict.

Genaro García Luna, who for more than a decade was the face of law enforcement in Mexico and a close Washington ally in the war on drugs, was found guilty Tuesday of helping the powerful Sinaloa cartel smuggle more than 50 tons of cocaine into the U.S. https://t.co/9lWkwAH1Ul

— Juan Forero (@WSJForero) February 22, 2023

Speaking to reporters outside the courthouse, Cesar de Castro, Mr. García Luna’s lead lawyer, said he was disappointed by the verdict.

“After many years of trying to build a case against Mr. García Luna with credible and reliable evidence, the government was forced to settle for a case built on the backs of some of the most notorious and ruthless criminals to testify in this courthouse,” Mr. de Castro said.

The guilty verdict is a major victory against ongoing corruption in Mexico that has often lacked accountability.

The case, however, is not expected to lead to additional cases against corruption among Mexican officials working with the cartel, as Luna's actions while living in the U.S. and in sums of millions of dollars made the case a unique one.

The conviction has been made and now the guilty man awaits his sentencing that could leave him behind bars for the rest of his life.