Latest news with #SinaloaCartel
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
7 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.
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.
Metro
15 hours ago
- Metro
Ecuador's most wanted Narco found cowering under kitchen counter
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video A criminal who escaped from prison in late 2023 was found in an underground bunker only accessible through a kitchen counter. 45-year-old Jose Adolfo Villamar, known as 'Fito', is the suspected leader of Los Choneros, Ecuador's largest criminal gang. He's now facing possible extradition to the US on seven charges issued against him in April this year. Villamar was convicted of murder and supplying the Mexican Sinaloa Cartel with tonnes of cocaine in 2011. But he escaped from Guayaquil Regional Prison 18 months ago, and the trail went cold until earlier this month. In early June, several members of his inner circle, including his brother and relatives of his partner, were arrested for allegedly laundering £17.5 million. He was found hiding in his hometown of Manta, with the Ecuadorian Army sharing images of its impressive layout on social media. Interior Minister John Reimberg said soldiers used an excavator to access the bunker during a 10-hour military operation. President Daniel Noboa called Fito one of the main targets of his war against organised crime in the country, which has one of the highest homicide rates in Latin America. 'We have done our part to proceed with Fito's extradition to the United States; we are awaiting their response,' he said. The government had issued a £727,730 reward for information leading to the gang leader's arrest. Following his recapture, Fito was taken to Ecuador's maximum-security La Roca prison in Guayaquil to resume his 34-year sentence for drug trafficking, murder, and organised crime, imposed in 2011. In April, the US government issued seven charges against Fito, including conspiracy to distribute cocaine internationally, use of firearms, and smuggling arms. More Trending The US Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned Los Choneros and their leader in February 2024. Brian E. Nelson, Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, said: 'Drug trafficking gangs such as Los Choneros, many with ties to powerful drug cartels in Mexico, threaten the lives and livelihoods of communities in Ecuador and throughout the region. 'We stand in support of Ecuador in its fight to combat drug trafficking, curb the proliferation of prison gangs and prison violence, and take back its streets.' The extradition process to the US is ongoing. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Woman in her 40s stabbed to death just yards away from London Stadium MORE: Sword attacker who murdered schoolboy in rampage jailed for at least 40 years MORE: Teenager caught cowering in bushes after stabbing neighbour 51 times
