Genaro García Luna decided not to testify in the trial against him that takes place in Brooklyn, USA. The decision of the former secretary of security was known on Monday, February 13, the date on which he also appeared in Court The king Zambada as a witness.
Trial against García Luna: prosecutors denied that the case is a “revenge of the government”
It was requested that the jury be instructed that some of the witnesses will have benefits due to the danger they run due to their statements.
The judge in charge of his case, Brian M. Cogan, asked García Luna if he was aware that waived the right to testifyto which the defendant confirmed.
It should be noted that the US Attorney’s Office asked Judge Cogan that in the event that the former Secretary of Security went up to give testimony, he would have to be able to cross-examined without prior restrictions as requested by the defense.
It was last Wednesday, February 8, when the Garcia Luna Lawyers sent a document to Judge Cogan in which asked to exclude some topicswhich indicated the possibility that the former Mexican official could testify.
The arguments of the trial against García Luna could end next week
Four other witnesses are expected to testify in the case against the former Secretary of Security, who faces justice in Brooklyn, USA.
By February 10, Cogan determined that would not prohibit topics or questions to prosecutors if García Luna decided to testifyexplained that both parties (prosecutors and defense) know more about specific issues.
“Because both sides know much more than the Court does about the specifics of the questions the government might ask the defendant at cross-examination, the Court is unable to give the defendant the certainty he seeks”, Cogan detailed in a statement that was shared on social networks.
In addition, the judge explained that the topics of the interrogations are broader than in the presentation of evidencewhere certain topics such as photographs of the life of García Luna were prohibited.
García Luna’s defense requested evidence on the next “significant witness”
Lawyer César de Castro argued that he does not have all the information and that the prosecutors would have met with the individual without generating notes.
It was on Sunday, February 12, that the defenders of García Luna sent a letter to Judge Cogan in order to instruct the jury not to discuss the defendant’s decision if the defendant decided not to testify.
“We only ask that you include an indication to the jury that the issue is not even discussed that the defendant does not testify in the jury room during the deliberations”, could be read in the text sent to Cogan, which was shared via Twitter by the journalist Jesús García.
García Luna faces five charges in the United Statesthree of them related to drug traffickingOne for organized crime and the last for false statements. However, the former official’s defense asked Judge Cogan to withdraw the charge for conspiracy and criminal organization.
The lawyers argued that no member of the Sinaloa Cartel had interactions with García Luna after 2011 and that he resigned from his position at the end of 2012.
The first witness in the trial against García Luna was Sergio Villarreal Barragan, aka The big onewho recounted, among other things, how the kidnapping of the former official by the Beltrán Leyva family.
Another of the witnesses, Édgar Veytia, who is also known as The devilsaid that he held a meeting with the then governor of Nayarit, Ney González, who had come from a meeting with garcia moon and the former president Felipe Calderon. Veytia accused García Luna and the former president to protect Joaquín El Chapo Guzman.
During the hearing on Tuesday, February 13 The king Zambada testified and said that he met García Luna on at least two occasions. to deliver amounts of money in order to garner support for the Sinaloa cartel. Cross-examination by the defense will continue on Tuesday, February 14.
