A former cartel operative told the US trial of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman Tuesday that he bribed a former Mexican cabinet minister with millions of dollars stuffed into two suitcases and hand delivered in a restaurant.
Jesus Zambada, a government informant held in US custody since 2008, said the bribes were delivered in person to Genaro Garcia Luna, Mexico's former public security minister, in 2005-2006.
Zambada said the Sinaloa cartel also bribed Gabriel Regino, at the time a senior police official under Mexico's now president-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador when the latter was mayor of Mexico City. The sum? A "few million dollars" in 2005.
Zambada said Regino was bribed to secure the cartel's "protection." Regino swiftly denied on Twitter ever receiving a bribe from Zambada.
Garcia Luna dismissed the testimony as "lies, defamation and perjury."
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