A Mexico City administrative court judge once again rejected Esperanza Garcia Luna’s appeal to lift the freeze on her bank accounts, a measure implemented by the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) in 2019.
The court’s decision, dismissing the appeal, stemmed from Esperanza Garcia Luna’s failure to challenge her inclusion on the list of sanctioned individuals. By implicitly accepting the FIU’s actions, the Tenth District Court judge overseeing the case dismissed the protection request.
Consequently, the sister of Genaro Garcia Luna, the former Secretary of Public Security under President Felipe Calderón Hinojosa and currently incarcerated in the U.S. on charges of alleged Sinaloa Cartel ties, will remain on the blacklist, effectively barring her from using Mexico’s financial system.
The FIU’s action, freezing Esperanza Garcia Luna’s assets, therefore, stands.
Following her brother’s U.S. arrest, the FIU, then under Santiago Nieto’s leadership, froze Esperanza Garcia Luna’s bank accounts alongside ten others, some belonging to Genaro Garcia Luna’s spouse, Cristina Pereyra Gálvez.
In January 2020, Esperanza Garcia Luna initially challenged the FIU’s account freeze through an amparo lawsuit.
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Where is Genaro García Luna now
Another Blow for Genaro García Luna’s Family: Esperanza’s Appeal Fails
The legal woes continue for the family of Genaro García Luna, the former Mexican Secretary of Public Security convicted in the US on drug trafficking charges. A Mexico City judge recently rejected the appeal filed by Esperanza García Luna, Genaro’s sister, to unfreeze her bank accounts.
The Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) froze Esperanza’s accounts in 2019, as part of a broader action that also targeted accounts belonging to Genaro García Luna himself, his wife, Cristina Pereyra Gálvez, and ten others. [[3]] The FIU, under the then-leadership of Santiago Nieto, acted following Genaro’s arrest in the US.
Esperanza’s appeal, filed in January 2020, failed because she didn’t effectively challenge her inclusion on the FIU’s sanctions list. The Tenth District Court judge deemed her acceptance of the FIU’s actions implicit, dismissing her request for protection. This means the freeze on her assets remains in effect, barring her from accessing Mexico’s financial system. This latest judgment follows the Mexican government’s recovery of over $2.5 million from Genaro García Luna’s companies, a significant action by the FIU. [[1]] Genaro García Luna’s conviction in the U.S. for his ties to the Sinaloa Cartel further underscores the gravity of the situation and the ongoing efforts to dismantle his alleged criminal network. [[2]] The case highlights the persistent legal ramifications facing those connected to the former high-ranking official, even extending to family members.
