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Fox News
6 hours ago
- Fox News
Sinaloa cartel hacker turned Mexico City cameras against FBI, leading to killings, DOJ says
A hacker working for the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico was able to obtain an FBI official's phone record information in 2018 and used Mexico City's surveillance camera system to track and kill informants and witnesses, the Justice Department said in a report. The 2018 incident was disclosed in the Justice Department Inspector General's audit of the FBI's efforts to "Mitigate the Effects of Ubiquitous Technical Surveillance." The report said the FBI was working on the case of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, the former leader of the infamous cartel who was extradited to the United States in 2017, when someone tipped the FBI that the drug-trafficking organization hired a hacker "who offered a menu of services related to exploiting mobile phones and other electronic devices." The hacker was able to identify an FBI assistant legal attaché (ALAT) at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City and was able to use the attaché's phone number "to obtain calls made and received, as well as geolocation data." "According to the FBI, in addition to compromising the ALAT's phone, the hacker also accessed Mexico City's camera system, used the cameras to follow the ALAT through the city, and identified people the ALAT met with," the report states. "According to the case agent, the cartel used that information to intimidate and/or kill potential sources or cooperating witnesses." The hacker and victims were not identified in the report. Fox News Digital has reached out to the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City, the State Department, the FBI and Justice Department. The report noted that advances in technology have "made it easier than ever for less-sophisticated nations and criminal enterprises to identify and exploit vulnerabilities" created by UTS, a term used to describe the widespread collection and storage od data and analysis often from everyday technologies like smartphones, computers and even vehicles.
The Guardian
8 hours ago
- The Guardian
Sinaloa cartel hacked FBI phones to track and kill informants, US says
A hacker working for the Sinaloa drug cartel was able to obtain an FBI official's phone records and use Mexico City's surveillance cameras to help track and kill the agency's informants in 2018, according to a new US justice department report. The incident was disclosed in a justice department inspector general's audit of the FBI's efforts to mitigate the effects of 'ubiquitous technical surveillance', a term used to describe the global proliferation of cameras and the thriving trade in vast stores of communications, travel, and location data. The report said that the hacker worked for the Sinaloa drug cartel, run by Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán, who was extradited to the United States in 2017. The report said the hacker identified an FBI assistant legal attaché at the US embassy in Mexico City and was able to use the attaché's phone number 'to obtain calls made and received, as well as geolocation data'. The report said the hacker also 'used Mexico City's camera system to follow the [FBI official] through the city and identify people the [official] met with'. The report said 'the cartel used that information to intimidate and, in some instances, kill potential sources or cooperating witnesses'. The report did not identify the alleged hacker, attaché or victims. The US embassy in Mexico referred questions to the state and justice departments, who did not immediately return messages seeking comment. The FBI and a lawyer for Guzmán did not immediately return messages seeking comment. The collection of granular location data from people's phones by a wide variety of commercial and official actors, combined with ever-growing coverage of surveillance cameras, has posed a thorny problem for intelligence and law enforcement officials, many of whom rely on confidential informants. The report said that recent technological advances 'have made it easier than ever for less-sophisticated nations and criminal enterprises to identify and exploit vulnerabilities' in the global surveillance economy. It said the FBI had a strategic plan in the works for mitigating those vulnerabilities and made several recommendations, including more training for bureau personnel.
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
Sinaloa cartel used phone data and surveillance cameras to find FBI informants, DOJ says
(Changes headline to say 'used phone data', not 'hacked phones') By Raphael Satter WASHINGTON (Reuters) -A hacker working for the Sinaloa drug cartel was able to obtain an FBI official's phone records and use Mexico City's surveillance cameras to help track and kill the agency's informants in 2018, the U.S. Justice Department said in a report issued on Thursday. The incident was disclosed in a Justice Department Inspector General's audit of the FBI's efforts to mitigate the effects of "ubiquitous technical surveillance," a term used to describe the global proliferation of cameras and the thriving trade in vast stores of communications, travel, and location data. The report said that the hacker worked for a cartel run by "El Chapo," a reference to the Sinaloa drug cartel run by Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, who was extradited to the United States in 2017. The report said the hacker identified an FBI assistant legal attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City and was able to use the attaché's phone number "to obtain calls made and received, as well as geolocation data." The report said the hacker also "used Mexico City's camera system to follow the (FBI official) through the city and identify people the (official) met with." The report said "the cartel used that information to intimidate and, in some instances, kill potential sources or cooperating witnesses." The report did not identify the alleged hacker, attaché or victims. The U.S. Embassy in Mexico referred questions to the State and Justice departments, who did not immediately return messages seeking comment. The FBI and a lawyer for El Chapo did not immediately return messages seeking comment. The collection of granular location data from people's phones by a wide variety of commercial and official actors, combined with ever-growing coverage of surveillance cameras, has posed a thorny problem for intelligence and law enforcement officials, many of whom rely on confidential informants. The report said that recent technological advances "have made it easier than ever for less-sophisticated nations and criminal enterprises to identify and exploit vulnerabilities" in the global surveillance economy. It said the FBI had a strategic plan in the works for mitigating those vulnerabilities and made several recommendations, including more training for bureau personnel.
Straits Times
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Sinaloa cartel used phone data and surveillance cameras to find FBI informants, DOJ says
A person passes by the FBI seal on the wall of the FBI headquarters, days after the Trump administration launched a sweeping round of cuts at the Justice Department, in Washington, U.S., February 3, 2025. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo WASHINGTON - A hacker working for the Sinaloa drug cartel was able to obtain an FBI official's phone records and use Mexico City's surveillance cameras to help track and kill the agency's informants in 2018, the U.S. Justice Department said in a report issued on Thursday. The incident was disclosed in a Justice Department Inspector General's audit of the FBI's efforts to mitigate the effects of "ubiquitous technical surveillance," a term used to describe the global proliferation of cameras and the thriving trade in vast stores of communications, travel, and location data. The report said that the hacker worked for a cartel run by "El Chapo," a reference to the Sinaloa drug cartel run by Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, who was extradited to the United States in 2017. The report said the hacker identified an FBI assistant legal attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City and was able to use the attaché's phone number "to obtain calls made and received, as well as geolocation data." The report said the hacker also "used Mexico City's camera system to follow the (FBI official) through the city and identify people the (official) met with." The report said "the cartel used that information to intimidate and, in some instances, kill potential sources or cooperating witnesses." The report did not identify the alleged hacker, attaché or victims. The U.S. Embassy in Mexico referred questions to the State and Justice departments, who did not immediately return messages seeking comment. The FBI and a lawyer for El Chapo did not immediately return messages seeking comment. The collection of granular location data from people's phones by a wide variety of commercial and official actors, combined with ever-growing coverage of surveillance cameras, has posed a thorny problem for intelligence and law enforcement officials, many of whom rely on confidential informants. The report said that recent technological advances "have made it easier than ever for less-sophisticated nations and criminal enterprises to identify and exploit vulnerabilities" in the global surveillance economy. It said the FBI had a strategic plan in the works for mitigating those vulnerabilities and made several recommendations, including more training for bureau personnel. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Reuters
9 hours ago
- Reuters
Sinaloa cartel hacked phones and surveillance cameras to find FBI informants, DOJ says
WASHINGTON, June 27 (Reuters) - A hacker working for the Sinaloa drug cartel was able to obtain an FBI official's phone records and use Mexico City's surveillance cameras to help track and kill the agency's informants in 2018, the U.S. Justice Department said in a report issued on Thursday. The incident was disclosed in a Justice Department Inspector General's audit, opens new tab of the FBI's efforts to mitigate the effects of "ubiquitous technical surveillance," a term used to describe the global proliferation of cameras and the thriving trade in vast stores of communications, travel, and location data. The report said that the hacker worked for a cartel run by "El Chapo," a reference to the Sinaloa drug cartel run by Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, who was extradited to the United States in 2017. The report said the hacker identified an FBI assistant legal attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City and was able to use the attaché's phone number "to obtain calls made and received, as well as geolocation data." The report said the hacker also "used Mexico City's camera system to follow the (FBI official) through the city and identify people the (official) met with." The report said "the cartel used that information to intimidate and, in some instances, kill potential sources or cooperating witnesses." The report did not identify the alleged hacker, attaché or victims. The U.S. Embassy in Mexico referred questions to the State and Justice departments, who did not immediately return messages seeking comment. The FBI and a lawyer for El Chapo did not immediately return messages seeking comment. The collection of granular location data from people's phones by a wide variety of commercial and official actors, combined with ever-growing coverage of surveillance cameras, has posed a thorny problem for intelligence and law enforcement officials, many of whom rely on confidential informants. The report said that recent technological advances "have made it easier than ever for less-sophisticated nations and criminal enterprises to identify and exploit vulnerabilities" in the global surveillance economy. It said the FBI had a strategic plan in the works for mitigating those vulnerabilities and made several recommendations, including more training for bureau personnel.
