A Milenio cartel has testified in front of a U.S. jury that he paid off Mexico's former security chief Genaro Garcia Luna for help, which included U.S. government information regarding a huge drug shipment.

The Milenio cartel leader was Oscar Nava Valencia, also known as "El Lobo." He noted that the payments to Garcia Luna were also for protection at a time when Sinaloa Cartel was heading toward a drug war, according to Association Press News.

Nava Valencia said in front of jurors during Garcia Luna's federal drug trafficking trial that the latter and a high-ranking police official said "they were going to stand with us."

Defense lawyers earlier argued that the case mainly revolves around "self-interested criminals," but have not given the chance to question Nava Valencia.

El Lobo told jurors that he paid $5 million to Garcia Luna and other high-level government officials to try to free a shipping container containing 10 tons of Colombian cocaine after it was seized in the Mexican Pacific Coast port of Manzanillo in 2007.

Nava Valencia testified that despite the payout the drug traffickers did not get the narcotics back, and it even resulted in another 10-ton container being confiscated.

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Milenio Cartel Leader Trial Testimony

Nava Valencia testified that there had been a meeting a month after the seizure of the drug shipments.

The meeting was held just outside the central Mexican city of Cuernavaca, wherein Garcia Luna said he failed to intervene as the U.S. government and Mexican marines were involved in the operation, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Garcia Luna also provided a document showing that the U.S. government had knowledge about the shipment and its origins.

Nava Valencia said the report had proven that the problem came from the Colombians' end, which prompted "irritated Colombian suppliers" to back away from their demand for a $50 million reimbursement.

El Lobo also recalled the second face-to-face meeting with Garcia Luna amid the Sinaloa Cartel rift.

He noted that he and his associates paid $500,000 for a meeting with Garcia Luna and another $2.5 million when the former security chief showed up in a meeting.

During that meeting, Garcia Luna and the police officer with him promised to "stand with" the cartel, according to Nava Valencia.

Milenio Cartel and Sinaloa Cartel

Nava Valencia led the Mexican drug organization, Milenio Cartel. He then pled guilty years ago to cocaine conspiracy.

Milenio Cartel had known ties to the Sinaloa Cartel under the leadership of Joaquin Guzman, or "El Chapo."

El Chapo was extradited to the United States in January 2017, which then led to violence in Mexico due to power struggles within the organization.

El Chapo's trial also unraveled the rampant corruption, with Mexican government officials being paid by cartels for protection and information.

Sinaloa Cartel's influence stretches from New York City to Buenos Aires. The organized crime group was established in Mexicao's Sinaloa state and has operations in 17 Mexican states and over 50 countries.

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Written by: Mary Webber

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