Megachurch Pastor Sues Univision for Defamation, Denies Ties to Drug Trafficking

Megachurch pastor Carlos Enrique Luna, aka “Cash” Luna, is suing Univision for defamation in a Florida court.

The U.S.-based Spanish television network claimed that Luna worked with and received large sums of money from a drug trafficker named Jorge Mauricio Herrera Bernal.

Last year, Luna—pastor of Casa de Dios (House of God) evangelical church in Guatemala—vehemently denied these claims in a video, calling them false and hurtful.

“Pastor Cash Luna and the ministry Casa de Dios categorically reject the false news that contradicts the ninth commandment: ‘Do not give false testimony against your neighbor’ (Exodus 20:16),” a Facebook post published to Luna’s official account said. “Therefore, he has initiated the process of suing Univision for the report that they transmitted December 2018.”

In a statement on Cash Luna’s website, Luna says Univision published false public information accusing him of having a relationship with a drug convict in the U.S. and accepting money from that person.

“The Univision report was based mostly in the false statements of Jorge Mauricio Herrera Bernal, confessed drug trafficker, who was imprisoned in the United States upon being processed under charges of intent of homicide and false imprisonment before being deported to Colombia,” the statement says in Spanish. “Bernal’s own defense attorney said during a court hearing that Bernal was ‘paranoid and delirious’ and a Florida judge found evidence where Bernal was described as ‘mentally incompetent.’ These facts were known to the public when Univision depended on Bernal’s false statement to publish their report about Pastor Luna and Casa de Dios.”

The statement also included a word from Charles Harder, the attorney representing Luna in his case against Univision:

“Pastor Luna has been a promoter of moral values, ethics and altruism, and has clearly spoken out against corruption. The false story presented by Univision has damaged in a great way his credibility and ability to make a positive impact on Guatemala. Pastor Luna and Casa de Dios will take this case to the end to ensure that the truth prevails.”