A former high-ranking Mexican official tried to bribe fellow inmates into making false statements to support his bid for a new trial in a U.S. drug case, a judge found Wednesday in rejecting Genaro García Luna ‘s request.
García Luna, who once held a cabinet-level position as Mexico’s top public safety official, was convicted last year of taking payoffs to protect the drug cartels he was supposed to go after. He is awaiting sentencing and denies the charges.
Prosecutors discovered his alleged jailhouse bribery efforts and disclosed them in a court filing earlier this year, citing such evidence as a former cellmate’s handwritten notes and covert recording of a conversation with García Luna. His lawyers said the allegations were bogus and the recording was ambiguous.
But U.S. District Judge Brian Cogan found them believable.
“This was a clear scheme by defendant to obstruct justice through bribery,” Cogan wrote.
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