Latest news with #Joaquín'ElChapo'Guzmán
USA Today
30-06-2025
- USA Today
New report: Hacker for El Chapo helped boss hunt and kill FBI informants
A federal report details how in 2018 the Sinaloa Cartel enlisted a cyberagent to track an FBI agent to find informants and witnesses against Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán. A hacker working for infamous Mexican drug lord "El Chapo" tapped into an FBI agent's cell phone data and Mexico City surveillance cameras to find, intimidate and kill agency informants, according to a newly released federal report. The report from the Department of Justice's Office of the Inspector General details how in 2018 the Sinaloa Cartel enlisted a cyberagent to track the FBI's assistant legal attaché in Mexico City working on the case against Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán. Guzman, considered responsible for the deaths of 34,000 people, was sentenced to life in prison in 2019 after conviction on charges including running a criminal enterprise and murder conspiracies. The report, released Thursday, sheds new light on the deadly tactics Guzman and the drug cartel employed to destroy resistance and cooperation with police. Cartel members used information the hacker obtained 'to intimidate and, in some instances, kill potential sources or cooperating witnesses,' according to the report. Efforts to hurt the legal case against El Chapo came amid his federal trial in Brooklyn in 2018. The hacker for El Chapo obtained information, the report says, by monitoring who was going in and out of the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City; tracking phone calls made by the FBI agent working on the case; and tapping into the city's surveillance camera system to follow the agent and see who he was meeting. Legal attaché agents are 'highly trained investigators' who work with law enforcement in their host country, according to the FBI. U.S. Embassy officials in Mexico and the FBI referred questions to the State and Justice departments, who did not immediately return messages seeking comment. A lawyer for El Chapo did not immediately return messages seeking comment. The report does not say how many sources and cooperating witnesses were killed or intimidated. Revelations about the extent to which cartel affiliates managed to follow an FBI agent and get information to hurt a significant trial in the U.S. come as federal officials acknowledge the thorniess of the problem. The report labeled an audit of the FBI's 'Efforts to Mitigate the Effects of Ubiquitous Technical Surveillance' 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.
New York Post
30-06-2025
- New York Post
Mexican cartel hackers used FBI agent's phone and public cameras to track down and kill informants: report
A Mexican cartel hacker used an FBI agent's phone records and public cameras to track down and intimidate — and even kill — government informants, according to a startling new report. The hacker — hired by the vicious Sinaloa cartel led by Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán — broke into the phone of an FBI assistant legal attaché stationed at the US Embassy in Mexico City, and was able to extract an alarming amount of information that led the criminals straight to government informants. It remains unclear exactly when the hacking operation happened or how long it lasted, but it was revealed in a recent FBI audit investigating how the bureau can battle new technology threats, Reuters reported. The hacking operation was led by Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán's Sinaloa Cartel. It is unclear when it happened. Xinhua/Shutterstock The hacker was able to break into the agent's phone remotely and watch their incoming and outgoing calls, and even monitor the phone's geolocation, according to the report. Once armed with that data, the hacker gained access to Mexico City's street surveillance cameras to follow the FBI agent to see who they were meeting with. 'The cartel used that information to intimidate and, in some instances, kill potential sources or cooperating witnesses,' the report read. It remains unclear how many informants were compromised by the hacking operation, or who the FBI agent at the center of it was. The identity of the hacker also remains unclear. Public surveillance infrastructure coupled with cellular data has made it increasingly difficult to carry out covert operations abroad, especially for agents who depend on informants to access their targets. New technologies 'have made it easier than ever for less-sophisticated nations and criminal enterprises to identify and exploit vulnerabilities,' the report read. El Chapo remains imprisoned in the US after being arrested and extradited in 2017.
Scottish Sun
28-06-2025
- Scottish Sun
El Chapo's Mexican drug cartel ‘hired hacker to infiltrate public CCTV cameras to track down and kill FBI informants'
The FBI says it's drafting a plan to plug security gaps, including more training for agents NARCO WARS El Chapo's Mexican drug cartel 'hired hacker to infiltrate public CCTV cameras to track down and kill FBI informants' Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) EL CHAPO'S ruthless cartel used a hacker to break into Mexico City's CCTV system and track down FBI informants — before having them killed. A shocking new US Justice Department report reveals the Sinaloa Cartel, once run by Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán, hired a tech expert to spy on American agents and expose their sources. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 El Chapo's (pictured) ruthless Sinaloa cartel used a hacker to break into Mexico City's CCTV system to spy on FBI informants Credit: AFP or licensors 3 The hacker was used to track down agents and expose their sources before they were killed Credit: Reuters 3 The FBI says it's drafting a plan to plug security gaps, including more training for agents Credit: AP The hacker hacked into Mexico City's camera network and phone records in 2018, tailing an FBI assistant legal attaché (ALAT) at the US embassy. Armed with this intel, the cartel was able to 'intimidate and, in some instances, kill potential sources or cooperating witnesses,' the report said. The Justice Department added: '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 findings shine a harsh light on how cartels are now using cutting-edge tech to stay a step ahead of law enforcement. Read more cartel stories CARTEL BUTCHER US woman killed by Mexico cartel after 'mistaking her dad's truck for rival' The audit warned that new technology has 'made it easier than ever for less-sophisticated nations and criminal enterprises to identify and exploit vulnerabilities' in government data. It comes as Mexico's cops desperately try to catch up. In Chiapas this week, police unveiled armed drones to take on cartels fighting for smuggling routes along the Guatemalan border. Just weeks ago, the same force sparked a diplomatic storm by chasing gunmen into Guatemala and engaging in a wild street shootout. The Sinaloa Cartel — once commanded by El Chapo, who's now locked up in the US — remains locked in a bloody battle with the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. Meanwhile, a new breed of younger, tech-savvy narcos is ramping up tactics like cryptocurrency laundering and state-of-the-art surveillance. Horror moment bomb drone blows up enemy truck…but this ISN'T Ukraine- vid shows warring cartels Trump wants to crush 'The cartels run a multi-billion-dollar global enterprise and utilize sophisticated technology to enhance their business operations,' said Derek Maltz, former acting DEA chief. 'They utilize state-of-art sophisticated surveillance techniques to identify law enforcement activities and their adversaries.' The FBI says it's drafting a plan to plug these glaring security gaps, including more training for agents. But the Justice Department report warned the threat is so severe that some in the FBI and CIA call it 'existential'. Mexico's long-running drug war rages on with no end in sight. More than 400,000 people have been killed since the government first declared war on the cartels in 2006, and tens of thousands more have vanished without a trace. Despite high-profile arrests and military crackdowns, groups like Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation continue to expand their reach, both at home and across borders. In the US, the stakes are equally dire. Authorities have repeatedly blamed Mexican cartels for driving the fentanyl crisis, which has fuelled a record surge in overdose deaths. Washington has labelled these syndicates 'foreign terrorist organisations' in everything but official designation, ramping up efforts to cripple their finances and supply chains.
The Hill
26-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
A drug kingpin's lawyer is the new poster child for Mexico's judiciary
In recent years, the Mexican government has done everything possible to change the narrative and demonstrate that America's main trading partner is also its main ally on immigration and the fight against illegal drug-trafficking. Despite these efforts, the country's recent judicial elections sent the wrong message, turning Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán's iconic lawyer, Silvia Delgado García, into the new poster child for Mexico's judicial system. In February, President Claudia Sheinbaum's administration handed over to the U.S. Rafael Caro Quintero, a drug lord linked to the 1985 murder of DEA agent Enrique 'Kiki' Camarena. It was no small feat. Former Presidents Ronald Reagan, George Bush (father and son), Bill Clinton, Barack Obama and Joe Biden all tried to convince Mexico to help them capture the person responsible for this crime. President Trump finally won this peace offering alongside the extradition of 28 heavyweight drug lords. Mexico also sent 10,000 troops to the border with the U.S., with thousands spent on deploying military forces, transportation and other expenses for the sole purpose of telling America not to worry, we'll take care of the border. Mexico not only assumed border migration issues as a shared responsibility, but also agreed to receive expelled migrants from other countries. Mexico has also made significant drug seizures to show the U.S. that there is no reason to impose new trade tariffs as a punishment. Earlier this month, 42 metric tons of methamphetamines and 2,300 gallons of chemical precursors were seized by Mexican authorities. In short, Mexico has abruptly shifted from denying the very existence of fentanyl production to making the largest fentanyl seizure in its history. The Mexican government, despite its usual anti-American rhetoric on security issues, has not objected to the deployment of at least three destroyers in seas near its territory, including the USS Spruance, the USS Gravely and, most recently, the USS Charleston. But these security cooperation efforts have been weakened with Mexico's recent judicial elections. Mexico has not only pulverized the stability of its own legal system, but the ruling party took complete control of all judicial bodies and opened the door to controversial figures linked to drug-trafficking organizations. The judicial reforms and the recent election of judges, with only 13 percent popular participation, are already having a detrimental impact on Mexico's investment climate. Legal security was not just weakened but shattered. This not only affects investments from the U.S. but from all countries and even domestic Mexican investments. Mexico has chosen party loyalty over professional quality, family DNA over prestigious credentials, and popularity and charisma over character and skills. Such decisions bring Mexico closer to a failed state than to a mature democracy, turning it into a risky partner, not a reliable friend. Even though Mexico and the U.S. have tried to manage their differences in a diplomatic manner, it is clear that the illegitimate election of judges, which has transformed El Chapo's lawyer into a judicial authority, send the wrong message for investors, promotes a perception of criminal impunity and undermines trust and transparency. Arturo McFields is an exiled journalist, former Nicaraguan ambassador to the Organization of American States, and a former member of the Norwegian Peace Corps. He is an alumnus of the National Defense University's Security and Defense Seminar and the Harvard Leadership course.
Hindustan Times
23-06-2025
- Hindustan Times
Border Patrol uncovers nearly 3,000-foot drug tunnel between San Diego and Tijuana
US Border Patrol agents recently discovered and shut down a large drug-smuggling tunnel running from Tijuana, Mexico, into California. The tunnel, nearly 3,000 feet long, began under a house in Tijuana and ended near a warehouse in Otay Mesa, just south of San Diego, Daily Mail reported. The tunnel was still being built when authorities found it in April, but it was already highly advanced.(@mcgmouton57/ X) The tunnel was still being built when authorities found it in April, but it was already highly advanced. It had electrical wiring, lighting, a ventilation system, and even a rail system to move drugs. Officials believe the Sinaloa Cartel, once run by Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán, is responsible for the tunnel. Though El Chapo is serving a life sentence in a maximum-security prison in Colorado, the cartel remains a powerful criminal group in Mexico and along the border. Agents said the tunnel measured about 42 inches tall, 28 inches wide, and reached depths of 50 feet underground. Mexican police found the entrance hidden beneath new tile flooring in a house located in the Nueva Tijuana neighborhood. Also Read: Secret tunnel unearthed at Brooklyn synagogue, 10 arrested after chaos over filling 'Stopping drug tunnels…' Border Patrol says the discovery comes as border security remains tight, with fewer illegal crossings in recent years. Jeffrey Stalnaker, the acting chief patrol agent in San Diego, praised the work of the agents who found the tunnel. 'Stopping drug tunnels like this is vital to keeping Americans safe,' he said. 'I'm proud of our team and the help we got from Mexican police.' More than 95 tunnels have been found in the San Diego area since 1993. This one will be filled with concrete to prevent future use. $20,000 for entry into the US Another tunnel was found earlier this year in El Paso, Texas. That tunnel, discovered on January 9, ran from Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, into a storm drain system in El Paso. It had already been used to smuggle people, some of whom paid up to $20,000 for entry into the US. Like the one in California, it was built with lighting, air flow systems, and structural support to prevent collapse.
