By The Opinion
Dec 18, 2024, 9:45 PM EST
Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Breon Peace announced his resignation effective January 10ending a period as a federal prosecutor that included high-profile cases such as the trial of singer R Kelly for sex trafficking and the case against former Mexican Public Security Secretary Genaro García Luna,
“As I soon leave this position, I will always be grateful for the extraordinary work we have done together to promote our mission, always doing the right thing and achieving justice with honor and integrity“said Peace, chief prosecutor of the Eastern District of New York since 2021, in a statement.
Peace, 53, of Brooklyn, New York, will be replaced as head of the Brooklyn office, known as the Eastern District of New York, by First Deputy District Attorney Carolyn Pokorny, according to the statement.
His partner Carolyn Pokorny, until now deputy prosecutor in the same court, will serve as acting federal prosecutor from January 10 to January 20, when Trump’s new term begins and it must be confirmed who he will choose as successor to the court of Brooklyn.
“I hope that the office will continue to have a courageous commitment to the pursuit of justice, in a balanced and ethical manner, without prejudice, without fear or favor, and with compassion and empathy towards our fellow human beings,” said Peace, who had been appointed by the outgoing president Joe Biden.
During his leadership in the Eastern District of New York, Peace was behind the case against García Luna, who in October was sentenced to sentences totaling more than 38 years in prison, in addition to a $2 million dollar fine, for drug trafficking crimes, collaboration with organized crime (the Sinaloa Cartel) and for false testimony before US authorities.
Then, Breon Peace, who throughout the process was very harsh against the former Mexican public representative, attributed to García Luna “the importation of more than a million kilograms of lethal narcotics” from Mexico to the US, “incalculable violence.” in both countries, and considered that the sentence sends a “strong message” to society.
Keep reading:
• What are Genaro García Luna’s arguments to annul his trial?
• The DEA boasts Genaro García Luna as its greatest achievement against cartels and corruption in Mexico
• López Obrador considers that the United States does not sentence García Luna for a “political matter”