New York federal court judge shuts down virtual court hearing for Mexico's ex-security chief, who is accused of drug trafficking, after members of Mexican press refused to mute their devices
A court hearing for Mexico's former Secretary of Public Security was stopped after just 10 minutes after members of the Mexican press refused to comply with instructions from a New York judge to mute their devices.
U.S. District Judge Brian Cogan decision came after Genaro GarcÃa Luna pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to drug trafficking charges, including a new one of engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise that could add 20 years to his sentence if convicted.
Cogan read each of the six charges to GarcÃa Luna during the video conference hearing, to which reporters had access by phone.
'I have repeatedly asked the Mexican press to stop talking on this call,' Cogan said. 'If I cannot continue, I will stop this call and schedule [the hearing] for later.'
Mexico's former Secretary of Public Security Genaro GarcÃa Luna pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to drug trafficking charges in a New York federal court. GarcÃa Luna served as Mexico's security chief from 2006 to 2012. He is accused of accepting tens of millions of dollars in bribes to protect the Sinaloa Cartel from law enforcement
JoaquÃn 'El Chapo' Guzmán (pictured) organization reportedly bribed Genaro GarcÃa Luna during his time as a top official in Mexico. Federal U.S. prosecutors charged GarcÃa Luna with accepting several million dollars in exchange for surveillance information that allowed the cartel to operate
GarcÃa Luna was arrested in December 2019, as federal prosecutors in New York accused him of aiding Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzmán's Sinaloa Cartel.
The new charge, added in July, involves violations of trafficking 11,000-pounds of cocaine in 2008; 50,000 pounds in 2007 and 41,000 pounds that same year. The judge mentioned three other cocaine deals in 2002 and 2003.
GarcÃa Luna served as Mexico's security chief from 2006 to 2012. He is accused of accepting tens of millions of dollars in bribes - often stuffed in briefcases full of cash - to shield the Sinaloa Cartel from law enforcement and provide it with surveillance information.
In January, the former Mexican official pleaded not guilty to charges of cocaine trafficking conspiracy and a false statement.
In March, Genaro GarcÃa Luna begged the New York federal court to move him to house arrest and claims he 'is at risk of dying' if he catches the pandemic virus due to a respiratory illness.
He even offered to post $2million bail in exchange for being transferred out of the Metropolitan Correctional Center in lower Manhattan.
In March, Genaro GarcÃa Luna (pictured third from left to right) as a federal court in New York to consider placing under house arrest instead of awaiting trial at Metropolitan Correctional Center, where an inmate tested positive for the coronavirus
Cogan set December 7 as the next hearing on the case. Prosecutors have said GarcÃa Luna's trial could last from two to three months.
GarcÃa Luna lived in Miami before his arrest in 2019 in Texas.
GarcÃa Luna had been the subject of testimony at El Chapo's trial by Jesús Zambada, the son of the jailed drug kingpin's partner Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada.
Zambada, who once married El Chapo's daughter and has two children with her, said he had given GarcÃa Luna a suitcase containing $3 million in 2005 or 2006, and paid him another $3 million to $5 million in 2007.
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