Sinaloa Cartel leader shocks Chapo's trial with allegations of decades of governmental corruption

Top security officials working for Mexico’s past, present and future presidents received suitcases full of millions of dollars, according to remarkable testimony heard in the trial of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman.

Guzman, whose drug trafficking trial began last week in New York, sat with his arms folded as convicted Sinaloa Cartel member Jesus Zambada – the first of 16 cooperating witnesses – detailed allegations of how the Cartel had corrupted senior officials over decades.

Zambada, who described himself as the cartel leader for Mexico City, alleged that he had met with the deputy director of security for Mexico’s incoming president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, and handed over “a few million dollars” in 2005.

Mr Lopez Obrador was mayor of Mexico City from 2000-2005, when he stepped down to make an unsuccessful run for the presidency. He was eventually elected president in July this year, campaigning on a promise to clean up Mexico and end the violence, and will be inaugurated on December 1.

Zambada, asked why he paid the cash to security chief Gabriel Regino, replied: “It was paid because he was going to be the country’s next secretary of security, and if that was the case if was for our protection.”

Mr Regino, now a professor of criminology, denied the accusations almost immediately, tweeting: “With reference to the mention of my name in the famous trial of El Chapo, I declare: it is false that during my time in public service I received any bribe from Jesus Zambada. I categorically deny these assertions and will testify before any authority, national or international.”

Zambada also told the jury on Tuesday that he had met twice with former president Felipe Calderon’s head of federal police, Genaro Garcia Luna, and personally handed over at least $6 million in suitcases of cash.

He further alleged that four of Mexico’s biggest drug kingpins agreed in 2006 to pay Mr Garcia Luna – head of the federal police from 2006-12 – a total of $50 million in order for him to turn a blind eye to their activities.

Last week, in opening statements, Guzman’s lawyer Jeffrey Lichtman said that Zambada’s elder brother – Guzman’s former partner in the cartel - had been left free because he “bribes the entire government of Mexico including up to the very top, the current president of Mexico,” Enrique Pena Nieto.

Mr Pena Nieto’s spokesman issued a statement saying: “That is false.”