Former Mexican security official sentenced to 38 years in prison for taking cartel bribes

Genaro Garcia Luna, a former Mexican government official, was convicted of taking millions of dollars in bribes to protect the Sinaloa cartel in 2023. The conviction, obtained in New York, makes him the highest-level Mexican government official to be convicted in the US. At his sentencing hearing, Luna maintained his innocence. Luna was sentenced to 38 years and 4 months in prison, the longest possible prison sentence for the crime. Prosecutors had argued for a life sentence, stating that Luna took millions of dollars in bribes to allow the Sinaloa Cartel to smuggle tons of cocaine.