A Florida court has ruled that former Mexican security minister Genaro García Luna and his wife must pay over $2.4 billion in a civil suit for corruption and money laundering, marking a landmark victory for Mexico’s government.
In a landmark civil judgment, U.S. District Judge Lisa Walsh on Thursday ordered Genaro García Luna—Mexico’s former secretary of public security under President Felipe Calderón—and his wife, Linda Cristina Pereyra, to pay a combined total of $2.488 billion to the Mexican government. The decision stems from a suit filed in 2021 by Mexico’s Financial Intelligence Unit (UIF) alleging that García Luna and Pereyra amassed illicit wealth through corruption and money-laundering schemes during his tenure from 2006 to 2012.
The UIF lawsuit, brought in a Miami federal court, accused García Luna of using a network of shell companies and falsified contracts to siphon public funds. Prosecutors detailed at least 30 government contracts awarded to firms linked to the couple—many of which involved overpriced or fictitious surveillance and infrastructure projects—through which roughly $745.4 million was illicitly diverted between 2009 and 2018. The funds were allegedly routed through offshore accounts in Panama, Israel and the United States before being used to purchase luxury vehicles and real estate in Miami.
During the civil trial, García Luna and Pereyra failed to appear, prompting Judge Walsh to issue a default judgment. Under the ruling, García Luna is responsible for $748 million in damages, while Pereyra must pay $1.74 billion—three times the amount originally sought by Mexico’s government. The court’s order reflects the statutory provision allowing tripling of forfeited sums in civil proceedings when defendants are in default.
This judgment follows García Luna’s criminal conviction in New York in February 2023, where a federal jury found him guilty of accepting multimillion-dollar bribes from the Sinaloa Cartel. He is serving a 38-year prison sentence at USP Lee and was also fined $2 million. Testimony in that trial revealed cartel operatives delivered cash bribes to García Luna in suitcases, briefcases and duffel bags to secure protection for drug shipments into the United States.
Mexico’s government hailed the civil verdict as a “historic precedent” in the fight against high-level corruption. In an official statement, the Ministry of Finance noted that while only about $2.7 million has been recovered to date through prior enforcement actions, the ruling creates a legal basis to pursue assets across multiple jurisdictions and dissuade future abuse of public office.
Despite the verdict, experts warn that full recovery of the $2.488 billion award could take years. The UIF must now trace and seize assets hidden in complex corporate structures and negotiate with foreign authorities in places like Panama and Israel. Legal analysts also expect García Luna’s defense team to file appeals, arguing procedural irregularities and disputing the underlying asset valuations.
