Genaro Garcia Luna’s defense motion to bribe El Universal was “rejected” after arousing controversy.

NEW YORK – Defense team Genaro Garcia Lunacharged with drug trafficking, asked Judge Brian Cogan to block a prosecutor’s request for the testimony of a witness who would speak about the bribery to the Mexican media, mainly the newspaper El Universal.

However, Document 195 was not sealed. This newspaper published information about it. At least a couple of hours later, the document was “removed” from the judicial system and replaced by 196.

It is unclear whether this is the same argument put forward to Judge Kogan regarding a witness named Hector Villarreal-Fernandezbut a few hours later, the prosecutor’s office sent a letter to the judge about some “remedy” in favor of Garcia Luna.

In other cases, when the document is not sealed by mistake, the persons responsible for this, at the request of the parties and by prior agreement, withhold this information, since it reveals a duplicity between prosecutors and defense lawyers in certain parts of the document. litigation, such as the presentation of evidence, the summoning of witnesses, the publication of certain documents, and other matters.

Even the judge’s decisions are sealed, if deemed such, to protect the internal process that allows open trial to move forward.

“The government claims that[d]the enormous attention that the defense has already paid to public information about him [Genaro García Luna] and his reputation in court, it would be a mistake on the part of the jury to try to prevent the government from presenting evidence of the defendant’s responsibility for manipulate this reputation by bribing El Universal”, reads the original letter, published in the judiciary by lawyer Florian Midel, but signed by the entire legal team, including Cesar de Castro.

Defenders acknowledge that federal prosecutors argue that the defense “opened the door to the admission of newspaper storiesas part of his strategy to protect Garcia Luna was the publicity he had in Mexico and his constant appearance in the media.

However, lawyers for Mexico’s former minister of public security during Felipe Calderón’s administration have asked Judge Kogan to uphold his earlier ruling that prosecutors only speak of alleged threats to a Mexican journalist.

“As noted above, the Court has focused on the question of whether Mr. Garcia Luna is responsible for the threats against a particular journalist. and it did not concern bribery in the government’s petition,” the defense recalls.

The press in Mexico becomes a partner in the Garcia Luna case as cooperating witnesses testified that they were paid as a “journalist” who worked with drug dealers, in addition to investing thousands of dollars in the media to spread the news. that Jesus “King” Zambada was arrested.