Genaro García Luna is sentenced in New York for having received large sums of money from the Sinaloa drug cartel under the leadership of Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, who is in prison for life in the United States.
According to American media, the 54-year-old looked unmoved when, despite his denial, the verdict was read out, where he was convicted on all five charges for his involvement in cocaine smuggling.
Prosecutor: Traitor
According to the verdict, García Luna accepted bribes during his time leading the Mexican Federal Police, and then throughout his time in government.
In exchange, García Luna looked away or even protected when large quantities of cocaine were smuggled, from producing countries such as Colombia, via Mexico to the United States and Europe.
He is also said to have provided Sinaloa with intelligence, thereby "helping the cartel to attack rival drug cartels," according to the prosecutor's office.
Prosecutor Breon Peace wrote in a statement that García Luna once led the justice system in Mexico, but that for the rest of his life he will now be seen as a traitor among those who risk their lives to fight the cartels in Mexico.