Genaro García Luna's Attorneys Request Hearing to Defend Appeal in Corruption Case

The defense of Genaro García Luna, the former Mexican security chief sentenced to more than 38 years in prison in the U.S. for working with the Sinaloa cartel, has asked a federal appeals court for a hearing to present oral arguments in its appeal seeking to overturn his drug trafficking conviction.

According to a document sent to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals and obtained by Mexican newspaper Milenio, Cesar de Castro, García Luna's attorney, expressed his intention to present oral arguments and also proposed a series of dates for the hearing between May and August.

Last December, the defense of the former Mexican official filed its appeal against the drug trafficking charges against its client. In that appeal, García Luna's attorneys pointed to irregularities in the case and argued the process was "irreparably tainted." Among the issues raised, they claim evidence was withheld from the former official, that at least four witnesses lied about the facts presented, and that improper evidence regarding his assets was presented in court.

For its part, the Department of Justice responded to the appeal by arguing that the claims presented by the defense are untimely and, in no case, sufficient to undermine a proceeding like García Luna's.

"The evidence presented in this five-week trial proved beyond a reasonable doubt that García Luna was a corrupt law enforcement official who accepted millions of dollars in bribes from Mexico's largest and most sophisticated drug trafficking organization," special prosecutor Adam Amir said, as reported by Milenio.

In the coming days, the Court of Appeals will set a hearing in which three judges will hear arguments from both sides and may question them about the process.

If the judges decide to dismiss the appeal, the criminal case will have reached its end and García Luna will continue serving his sentence at the supermax prison in Florence, Colorado. Otherwise, the court could order that the process be carried out again, either from a specific stage or from the beginning.

Who is Genaro García Luna?

During his tenure as Mexico's top security official from 2006 to 2012, García Luna was tasked with combating criminal organizations such as the Sinaloa drug cartel.

However, prosecutors say he instead collaborated with them. Court records show that, in exchange for millions of dollars in bribes, García Luna provided intelligence on law enforcement investigations, tipped off the cartel about rival groups, and facilitated the safe passage of drug shipments.

García Luna was convicted in 2024 in a U.S. federal court of accepting bribes to protect the Sinaloa cartel and was sentenced to more than 38 years in prison. He is the highest-ranking Mexican official ever to be prosecuted and convicted in a U.S. court. Prosecutors said his actions furthered a drug trafficking conspiracy that led to the deaths of thousands of people in both the United States and Mexico.