A New York federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Naasón Joaquín García, the longtime head of the Mexican megachurch La Luz del Mundo, with racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking for allegedly using the church to facilitate the systematic sexual abuse of children and women over decades.
García, 56, who is serving a sentence of more than 16 years in a California prison after pleading guilty to state charges in 2022, was taken into federal custody early Wednesday in Chino, California, authorities said. Five others were named in the indictment; one was taken into custody in Los Angeles, another in Chicago, and three remain at large.
The indictment, unsealed Wednesday in New York, alleges that García and co-defendants exploited the religious authority of La Luz del Mundo — which claims about 5 million followers worldwide and regards García as its "apostle" — to prey on members for the sexual gratification of García and his father, who died in 2014. Prosecutors say the scheme included creating photos and videos of child sexual abuse and directing members to participate in or conceal the conduct.
According to the document, after García was arrested on state charges, two defendants and others attempted to destroy evidence and to intimidate and silence victims. The indictment says they pressured victims to sign false statements denying abuse, circulated sermons asserting that victims were lying and reinforced church teachings that doubting the apostle could carry spiritual consequences.
U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said in a statement that García and the other defendants "exploited the faith of their followers to prey upon them," and that when confronted they used their religious influence and financial power to intimidate and coerce victims into remaining silent. Ricky J. Patel, the head of the New York office of Homeland Security Investigations, described the allegations as the result of a "yearslong investigation that spanned the country and involved the support of dozens of courageous victims."
Prosecutors in California previously said García used his spiritual authority to have sex with girls and young women who were told the acts would lead to salvation, or that refusal would bring damnation. García pleaded guilty in 2022 to two state counts and received a sentence of more than 16 years; the newly unsealed federal indictment brings additional, separate allegations across state and federal lines.
The indictment charges racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking, statutes federal prosecutors frequently use when alleging a pattern of organized criminal conduct. The criminal complaint asserts coordinated efforts to hide abuse and to pressure church members and victims to deny wrongdoing.
Lawyers for García did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Authorities did not immediately provide identities for the other defendants or details about the specific counts each faces in the federal case. The arrests in Los Angeles and Chicago were disclosed by federal officials on Wednesday, and investigators said some co-defendants remain at large as the probe continues.
La Luz del Mundo has long held a prominent place among evangelical religious movements in Mexico and among Hispanic communities abroad. The federal indictment marks a significant escalation of legal action against the church's leadership, adding federal racketeering and trafficking allegations to prior state convictions and investigations.
The case will proceed in federal court in New York. A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office said prosecutors will provide further details at forthcoming court filings and hearings as the matter moves through the judicial process.