Latest news with #Guzmán
Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Battle of Culiacán: Heirs of the Cartel OTT release date in India: When and where to watch gripping docuseries
The highly anticipated documentary series Battle of Culiacán: Heirs of the Cartel will make its Indian debut on JioHotstar (OTTplay Premium) on July 29, 2025. An intense and brutal chapter in the Mexican drug war's recent history is explored in the four-part series, which provides a detailed examination of the horrific aftermath of the attempted capture of Ovidio Guzmán, son of Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán. Battle of Culiacán: Heirs of the Cartel Violent day that shook Culiacán The events portrayed in the documentary series occurred on October 17, 2019, when the Mexican Army intervened to apprehend Ovidio Guzmán, who played a prominent role in international fentanyl trafficking and was a high-ranking member of the Sinaloa Cartel. When the heavily armed cartel members attacked almost instantly, the operation that was supposed to be quick escalated into a city-wide war. In an attempt to get Guzmán released, a horde of gunmen descended upon Culiacán, blocking roadways and attacking military and police troops. The operation went horribly wrong, and the Mexican authorities released Guzmán in an unprecedented and contentious attempt to stop the violence and save lives. Concerns regarding cartel influence and the scope of Mexican government authority were voiced around the world in response to the ruling. Insights and real-time footage When it comes to the individuals and locations engaged in this catastrophe, "Battle of Culiacán: Heirs of the Cartel" provides unparalleled access. Interviews with Mexican government officials, police officers, FBI agents, and bystanders trapped in the violence make up the series. The documentary delves into the planning, execution, and failure of the operation, as well as its long-term consequences for global efforts to combat drug trafficking, using real-time footage shot on the streets of Culiacán. Those curious about the North American geopolitical landscape, true crime investigations, and organised crime are likely to enjoy the show. This series is very relevant because cartel activity is still a major problem on a global scale. Streaming details for Indian viewers Streaming rights for the Indian market are held by JioHotstar, and the entire series is set to stream on July 29, 2025. It will also be available on OTTplay Premium.
Engadget
01-07-2025
- Engadget
El Chapo drug cartel reportedly tracked and killed informants by hacking an FBI phone
The Mexican Sinaloa cartel hired a hacker to track and surveil the FBI, then used that information to intimidate and even kill witnesses against drug lord Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, according to a Justice Department report spotted by Ars Technica . The hacker used relatively sophisticated data collection techniques and weaknesses in the FBI's cybersecurity to identify the witnesses, the report states. According to the highly redacted report, which is based in part on testimony from an "individual connected to the cartel," the hacker offered gang leaders "a menu of services related to to exploiting mobile phones and other electronic devices." The hacker "observed people going in and out of the United States Embassy in Mexico City" and identified people of interest, including the FBI's Assistant Legal Attache (ALAT). They used the ALAT's mobile phone number to "obtain calls made and received, as well as geolocation data associated with the [attache's] phone." The hacker also used Mexico City's camera system to follow the ALAT around the city and identify people they met with. "According to the case agent, the cartel used that information to intimidate and, in some instances, kill potential sources or cooperating witnesses," the report states. The exact technical methods are redacted but the report explains that the hacker used "ubiquitous technical surveillance" (UTS) to spy on the FBI, which was investigating and eventually convicted Guzmán. The report defines UTS as the "widespread collection of data and application of analytic methodologies for the purpose of connecting people to things, events or locations." In other words, the cartel used some of the FBI's own methods against it. The report said that the recent availability of commercial tools that allow UTS is an "existential" threat. It cited other examples including the use of credit card transaction reports widely available from data brokers along with cell phone call logs. The FBI's response to the UTS threat was "disjointed and inconsistent," according to the Justice Department, and countermeasures instated in 2022 were "inadequate" and lacking in "long-term vision." It recommended (among other things) that the agency incorporate all UTS vulnerabilities into its final mitigation plan, identify key officials authorized to execute the strategy, establish a line of authority for responding to UTS-related incidents and ensure ongoing training on UTS strategies.
The Guardian
28-06-2025
- The Guardian
Sinaloa cartel hacked security cameras to track and kill FBI 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
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Soaring Chicago police lawsuit payouts hit record amount, more on way
Chicago's spending on police misconduct settlements and other police lawsuits is soaring this year, and the steep price for taxpayers could rise hundreds of millions more. Through May alone, the City Council has already approved at least $145.3 million in taxpayer payments to settle lawsuits involving the Chicago Police Department, a record number that dwarfs sums from past years, according to a Tribune analysis. That amount — far above the $82.6 million Mayor Brandon Johnson and aldermen budgeted for settlements, verdicts and legal fees involving the department — does not include many smaller payments that face less aldermanic scrutiny. It also leaves out a whopping $120 million a federal judge ordered the city to pay in March for two wrongful conviction cases — verdicts city leaders plan to challenge — and the oft-expensive cost of outside counsel retained by the city. And the budget-swamping cost will grow this year as Chicago stares down dozens and dozens of pending wrongful conviction lawsuits and handles a backlog of cases that went unheard while the COVID-19 pandemic closed courts. In City Hall, top attorneys, budget leaders and aldermen alike know the sharply heightened bill for police lawsuits is coming due. 'There's no real way around them,' Budget and Government Operations Committee Chair Ald. Jason Ervin, 28th, said. 'We have to deal with what's on the table right now.' Many of the most expensive police-related cases involve wrongful convictions and imprisonments related to confessions detectives allegedly forced from suspects through torture and coercion, as well as car chases that violate strict CPD pursuit policies and end in injuries or deaths. The city's Law Department recommends in many such cases that aldermen approve settlements to avoid risking far higher payouts that could follow court losses. The expensive deals and verdicts regularly tied to decades-old cases will make it harder for the already cash-strapped city to pay for new investments, like Johnson's progressive plans to expand youth employment or mental health care, both of which have price tags that pale in comparison with the lawsuit spending. But even as Johnson's administration hints at another large spending gap after grappling with a deficit of almost $1 billion last year, his budget director, Annette Guzmán, says the city has no choice but to make the best of the 'frustrating' situation. 'We're not kicking the can down the road. We are dealing with the situation and the hand that we've been dealt,' Guzmán said. Other cities are also contending with heightened police-related lawsuits, Guzmán added. She cited Los Angeles, where Mayor Karen Bass during a 'state of the city' speech last month blamed a nearly $1 billion shortfall that ultimately led to layoffs for 650 city workers in part on 'backed-up lawsuits' and 'uncapped damages.' Police-related settlements and verdicts have long cost the city a fortune, totaling over $1.11 billion from 2008 to 2024. The cost has generally risen over the last decade, passing $100 million for the first time in 2022 and hitting the mark again last year, according to the Tribune's analysis of city data. And the city has routinely failed to budget enough money to pay the bill. Chicago has only put enough in its annual police budget to cover the cost twice in the last 17 years, even after the budgeted amount jumped from below $20 million in 2018 to $82.6 million in 2020, where it remains today. Though she did answer a Tribune question about police misconduct costs at a news conference this week, Guzmán denied several requests for an interview. Her Office of Budget and Management said in a statement that the city has budgeted over $150 million this year for settlements across the city's entire general fund, but added, 'it is difficult to predict/estimate what will settle, when it will settle and how much it will likely settle, often times over a year before it does.' 'Given the amount that has settled this year and for, in some cases, record setting amounts, we will be working with the Department of Law and the CFO on options for addressing potential settlements through the end of the year,' the Budget Department statement said. The city's insurance providers have had to pay an additional $19 million tied to settlements. The Law Department released a statement saying the city manages around 17,000 legal matters every year, including transactions, defense litigations and prosecutorial cases. The cases for large amounts 'represent a small fraction,' and the city issued payment of 739 matters for settlements and judgments last year, the statement said. The city's 2025 payouts include $89 million tied to reversed conviction cases 'that involve decades-old conduct and do not reflect current police practices,' the statement said. A Law Department spokesperson declined to say how much future cases could cost the city this year. In January, the City Council approved a $7.5 million settlement for Ben Baker and his partner. Baker says allegedly corrupt ex-police Sgt. Ronald Watts pinned bogus drugs on him as retaliation when he refused to pay Watts a $1,000 bribe. Baker spent about 10 years in prison before his conviction was thrown out. His story will soon seem commonplace to aldermen. Around 175 other Watts-related cases are yet to be resolved in federal court. The incoming wave of those cases tied to alleged wrongful convictions could see Watts join disgraced former detectives Reynaldo Guevara and Jon Burge in the roll call of police officers who ended up costing taxpayers massive amounts of money for their misdeeds on the job. Another Watts case settled this week for $1.2 million, part of a lofty $62 million package approved by the City Council in May. The mounting costs sparked briefings presented to aldermen by city attorneys Thursday. Attendees said Law Department staff members laid out how they will address the coming cases, including the idea of hiring more attorneys. It will be hard to stomach the cost of settling, but it will often be more prudent than risking court verdicts, Ervin said. 'When the facts are stacked against you, you have to know when it's time to let go,' he said. As aldermen approved the fortune in settlements Wednesday, some loudly disagreed with Ervin's position. Ald. Raymond López, 15th, Johnson's most vocal opponent, argued settlements create a 'cottage industry' for attorneys who sue the city. Aldermen were debating a $5 million deal for a woman who lost both legs to frostbite after police who found her walking shoeless in a bathrobe did not drive her to a station around a mile away when she was locked out of her home and suffering a mental health crisis while temperatures hovered near 5 degrees. 'We have to stop settling every single time in this room,' López told his colleagues. 'We have to learn that some situations, while tragic, are not our fault. They are not the responsibility of taxpayers.' Ald. Andre Vásquez, 40th, fired back, arguing those favoring trials over settlements were gambling with taxpayer money. The same aldermen refused to include revenue-raising policies in the city's budget, he added. 'Stop talking on both sides of your neck just because you want to cater to whatever crowd you're speaking to,' Vásquez said. 'If you are not going to pay the bill, then accept the cheaper bill and take the settlement.' The settlement passed in a 36-13 vote. Moments later, aldermen considered an $8.25 million deal for a man who alleged police fabricated evidence that led to his murder conviction and 16 years behind bars before his conviction was vacated and charges dropped. The City Council considered a deal in the case last year. At the time, aldermen rejected a settlement $650,000 cheaper than the one they passed Wednesday. A key city witness was since convicted of sexual assault, city attorneys said. 'These are the types of cases we need to settle because they are bad cases,' Ervin said during debate before offering support for the work of Corporation Counsel Mary Richardson-Lowry, Johnson's top lawyer. 'If we don't trust her, then that's a different conversation. … Sending her to court in these circumstances only runs up the bill.' In response, a frustrated Ald. Nick Sposato, 38th, defended his frequent 'no' votes on settlements. He chided Ervin, arguing the Finance Committee briefings where aldermen discuss the deals might as well not happen if the body should always follow the Law Department's advice. 'If we are just going to do what they say, we don't need to do this,' Sposato said. 'Why are we wasting time, dragging people down there, listening, sitting in? … Forget the briefing, forget anything. We'll just go back to the old days.' But Ald. Pat Dowell, 3rd, who chairs the Finance Committee, told the Tribune afterward many aldermen do not come to the briefings where settlements are discussed. She urged her colleagues to show up and take on the ugly but necessary task of dealing with settlements. 'They have to be addressed,' Dowell said. 'We cannot stick our head in the sand and ignore these cases.' At a news conference later Wednesday, Richardson-Lowry argued it's a 'misnomer' for the aldermen often opposed to settlements to think the city is merely settling. The 'vast majority' of the lawsuits that her department handles are tried, not settled, 'but there are categories of cases that are in the interest of the city to settle,' she said. The Law Department does not expect to get every alderman's support, but it does expect their participation in briefings, Richardson-Lowry added. A backlog of cases is 'coming due,' she said. When it is appropriate, that will mean more trials, but it will mean more deal-making too, she said. 'I want all the (aldermen) and the general public to get ready, because we're going to have more settlements,' Richardson-Lowry said. 'It's the responsible thing to do.'
Chicago Tribune
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Soaring Chicago police lawsuit payouts hit record amount, more on way
Chicago's spending on police misconduct settlements and other police lawsuits is soaring this year, and the steep price for taxpayers could rise hundreds of millions more. Through May alone, the City Council has already approved at least $145.3 million in taxpayer payments to settle lawsuits involving the Chicago Police Department, a record number that dwarfs sums from past years, according to a Tribune analysis. That amount — far above the $82.6 million Mayor Brandon Johnson and aldermen budgeted for settlements, verdicts and legal fees involving the department — does not include many smaller payments that face less aldermanic scrutiny. It also leaves out a whopping $120 million a federal judge ordered the city to pay in March for two wrongful conviction cases — verdicts city leaders plan to challenge — and the oft-expensive cost of outside counsel retained by the city. And the budget-swamping cost will grow this year as Chicago stares down dozens and dozens of pending wrongful conviction lawsuits and handles a backlog of cases that went unheard while the COVID-19 pandemic closed courts. In City Hall, top attorneys, budget leaders and aldermen alike know the sharply heightened bill for police lawsuits is coming due. 'There's no real way around them,' Budget and Government Operations Committee Chair Ald. Jason Ervin, 28th, said. 'We have to deal with what's on the table right now.' Many of the most expensive police-related cases involve wrongful convictions and imprisonments related to confessions detectives allegedly forced from suspects through torture and coercion, as well as car chases that violate strict CPD pursuit policies and end in injuries or deaths. The city's Law Department recommends in many such cases that aldermen approve settlements to avoid risking far higher payouts that could follow court losses. The expensive deals and verdicts regularly tied to decades-old cases will make it harder for the already cash-strapped city to pay for new investments, like Johnson's progressive plans to expand youth employment or mental health care, both of which have price tags that pale in comparison with the lawsuit spending. But even as Johnson's administration hints at another large spending gap after grappling with a deficit of almost $1 billion last year, his budget director, Annette Guzmán, says the city has no choice but to make the best of the 'frustrating' situation. 'We're not kicking the can down the road. We are dealing with the situation and the hand that we've been dealt,' Guzmán said. Other cities are also contending with heightened police-related lawsuits, Guzmán added. She cited Los Angeles, where Mayor Karen Bass during a 'state of the city' speech last month blamed a nearly $1 billion shortfall that ultimately led to layoffs for 650 city workers in part on 'backed-up lawsuits' and 'uncapped damages.' Police-related settlements and verdicts have long cost the city a fortune, totaling over $1.11 billion from 2008 to 2024. The cost has generally risen over the last decade, passing $100 million for the first time in 2022 and hitting the mark again last year, according to the Tribune's analysis of city data. And the city has routinely failed to budget enough money to pay the bill. Chicago has only put enough in its annual police budget to cover the cost twice in the last 17 years, even after the budgeted amount jumped from below $20 million in 2018 to $82.6 million in 2020, where it remains today. Though she did answer a Tribune question about police misconduct costs at a news conference this week, Guzmán denied several requests for an interview. Her Office of Budget and Management said in a statement that the city has budgeted over $150 million this year for settlements across the city's entire general fund, but added, 'it is difficult to predict/estimate what will settle, when it will settle and how much it will likely settle, often times over a year before it does.' 'Given the amount that has settled this year and for, in some cases, record setting amounts, we will be working with the Department of Law and the CFO on options for addressing potential settlements through the end of the year,' the Budget Department statement said. The city's insurance providers have had to pay an additional $19 million tied to settlements. The Law Department released a statement saying the city manages around 17,000 legal matters every year, including transactions, defense litigations and prosecutorial cases. The cases for large amounts 'represent a small fraction,' and the city issued payment of 739 matters for settlements and judgments last year, the statement said. The city's 2025 payouts include $89 million tied to reversed conviction cases 'that involve decades-old conduct and do not reflect current police practices,' the statement said. A Law Department spokesperson declined to say how much future cases could cost the city this year. In January, the City Council approved a $7.5 million settlement for Ben Baker and his partner. Baker says allegedly corrupt ex-police Sgt. Ronald Watts pinned bogus drugs on him as retaliation when he refused to pay Watts a $1,000 bribe. Baker spent about 10 years in prison before his conviction was thrown out. His story will soon seem commonplace to aldermen. Around 175 other Watts-related cases are yet to be resolved in federal court. The incoming wave of those cases tied to alleged wrongful convictions could see Watts join disgraced former detectives Reynaldo Guevara and Jon Burge in the roll call of police officers who ended up costing taxpayers massive amounts of money for their misdeeds on the job. Another Watts case settled this week for $1.2 million, part of a lofty $62 million package approved by the City Council in May. The mounting costs sparked briefings presented to aldermen by city attorneys Thursday. Attendees said Law Department staff members laid out how they will address the coming cases, including the idea of hiring more attorneys. It will be hard to stomach the cost of settling, but it will often be more prudent than risking court verdicts, Ervin said. 'When the facts are stacked against you, you have to know when it's time to let go,' he said. As aldermen approved the fortune in settlements Wednesday, some loudly disagreed with Ervin's position. Ald. Raymond López, 15th, Johnson's most vocal opponent, argued settlements create a 'cottage industry' for attorneys who sue the city. Aldermen were debating a $5 million deal for a woman who lost both legs to frostbite after police who found her walking shoeless in a bathrobe did not drive her to a station around a mile away when she was locked out of her home and suffering a mental health crisis while temperatures hovered near 5 degrees. 'We have to stop settling every single time in this room,' López told his colleagues. 'We have to learn that some situations, while tragic, are not our fault. They are not the responsibility of taxpayers.' Ald. Andre Vásquez, 40th, fired back, arguing those favoring trials over settlements were gambling with taxpayer money. The same aldermen refused to include revenue-raising policies in the city's budget, he added. 'Stop talking on both sides of your neck just because you want to cater to whatever crowd you're speaking to,' Vásquez said. 'If you are not going to pay the bill, then accept the cheaper bill and take the settlement.' The settlement passed in a 36-13 vote. Moments later, aldermen considered an $8.25 million deal for a man who alleged police fabricated evidence that led to his murder conviction and 16 years behind bars before his conviction was vacated and charges dropped. The City Council considered a deal in the case last year. At the time, aldermen rejected a settlement $650,000 cheaper than the one they passed Wednesday. A key city witness was since convicted of sexual assault, city attorneys said. 'These are the types of cases we need to settle because they are bad cases,' Ervin said during debate before offering support for the work of Corporation Counsel Mary Richardson-Lowry, Johnson's top lawyer. 'If we don't trust her, then that's a different conversation. … Sending her to court in these circumstances only runs up the bill.' In response, a frustrated Ald. Nick Sposato, 38th, defended his frequent 'no' votes on settlements. He chided Ervin, arguing the Finance Committee briefings where aldermen discuss the deals might as well not happen if the body should always follow the Law Department's advice. 'If we are just going to do what they say, we don't need to do this,' Sposato said. 'Why are we wasting time, dragging people down there, listening, sitting in? … Forget the briefing, forget anything. We'll just go back to the old days.' But Ald. Pat Dowell, 3rd, who chairs the Finance Committee, told the Tribune afterward many aldermen do not come to the briefings where settlements are discussed. She urged her colleagues to show up and take on the ugly but necessary task of dealing with settlements. 'They have to be addressed,' Dowell said. 'We cannot stick our head in the sand and ignore these cases.' At a news conference later Wednesday, Richardson-Lowry argued it's a 'misnomer' for the aldermen often opposed to settlements to think the city is merely settling. The 'vast majority' of the lawsuits that her department handles are tried, not settled, 'but there are categories of cases that are in the interest of the city to settle,' she said. The Law Department does not expect to get every alderman's support, but it does expect their participation in briefings, Richardson-Lowry added. A backlog of cases is 'coming due,' she said. When it is appropriate, that will mean more trials, but it will mean more deal-making too, she said. 'I want all the (aldermen) and the general public to get ready, because we're going to have more settlements,' Richardson-Lowry said. 'It's the responsible thing to do.'
