Witness in the trial against Genaro García Luna admits that he does not know him, did not pay him money, nor did he see someone from the Sinaloa Cartel do so

A parade of witnesses advances in the trial of García Luna with "el Futbolista" 3:04

(CNN Spanish) --

In a new hearing of the trial facing Genaro García Luna, Mexico's former Secretary of Public Security, in New York, the defense had the opportunity to cross-examine Harold Mauricio Poveda Ortega, alias "El Conejo" this Thursday. a former Colombian drug trafficker who this Wednesday said he had worked for the Sinaloa Cartel between 2000 and 2009, very close to Arturo Beltrán Leyva.

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In response to questions from one of García Luna's lawyers, Poveda said he never gave the former official money, nor was he present when another person allegedly paid him.

His testimony before the Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, the witness acknowledged, was based on his experience within the cartel and on the statements of other members.

In addition, Poveda added that he does not know García Luna in person and that he has only seen him on television.

“You have never sat next to this man, have you?” Defense attorney César de Castro asked him as he pointed a finger at García Luna.

"Never," answered "The Rabbit."

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In the hearing this Wednesday, the witness had said that his role within the cartel was to secure shipments of cocaine from Colombia to Mexico, to be later introduced into the United States.

He was arrested on November 4, 2010. In 2012 he was extradited to the United States and in 2018 he pleaded guilty before the courts of that country to trafficking more than one million kilos of cocaine.

Today he is free on bail pending his sentencing.

• The trial against Genaro García Luna, former Secretary of Public Security of Mexico, in the US: who is he, what are they accusing him of and who are the witnesses

In the trial that takes place in the Court of the Eastern District of New York, García Luna faces several counts of participation in an ongoing criminal enterprise and others of conspiracy to obtain, import and distribute thousands of kilograms of cocaine in the United States, in addition to allegedly have made false statements to US immigration officials.

The former official has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

His defense has focused the cross-examination of the Prosecutor's witnesses on their credibility and conflicts of interest, given their criminal pasts and their agreements with the authorities that would give them the opportunity to obtain more lenient sentences.

Genaro Garcia Luna