A chilling revelation from the US Justice Department has exposed how one of Mexico's most notorious drug cartels infiltrated surveillance systems to hunt down and eliminate FBI informants in Mexico City.

According to The Mirror, the Sinaloa Cartel, formerly led by notorious drug lord El Chapo, employed a sophisticated hacker who gained unauthorized access to Mexico City's camera systems and phone records to track both FBI informants and officials.

The discovery came to light through a Justice Department audit titled "Audit of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Efforts to Mitigate the Effects of Ubiquitous Technical Surveillance." The report revealed that the hacker offered various services related to exploiting mobile phones and electronic devices, raising serious concerns about the vulnerability of law enforcement operations.

Cartel's Advanced Technical Capabilities Raise Alarms

The hacker specifically targeted an FBI assistant legal attaché (ALAT) at the American embassy in Mexico City, obtaining their phone records and tracking their movements. This breach allowed the cartel to monitor the ALAT's communications, including incoming and outgoing calls, as well as precise location data through the city's surveillance network.

The 2018 incident resulted in multiple casualties as the cartel used the gathered intelligence to identify and eliminate potential witnesses and informants. The exact number of victims remains undisclosed, with the report maintaining anonymity for the hacker, ALAT, and those killed.

The Justice Department emphasized how technological advances have made it increasingly easier for criminal organizations to exploit vulnerabilities in government-collected information. The FBI has acknowledged these security gaps and is currently developing new protocols and training programs to protect their personnel and informants.

Mexican Authorities Combat Cartel Technology

In response to growing cartel technological capabilities, law enforcement agencies in Mexico are upgrading their arsenal. The Chiapas state police force recently unveiled a fleet of armed drones to counter cartel operations along the Guatemalan border.

These new measures come as Mexican authorities face increasingly sophisticated cartel tactics, including the use of drones equipped with improvised explosive devices. The situation has become particularly tense in Chiapas, where rival cartels engage in territorial disputes.

State Security Secretary Óscar Aparicio Avendaño announced that the police drones could be equipped with firearms or firefighting capabilities, though specific operational guidelines weren't detailed in the announcement.

Border Tensions Escalate Amid Cartel Wars

The region has become a flashpoint for violence as Mexico's two most powerful criminal organizations, the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, battle for control of smuggling routes along the Guatemala border. Recent incidents highlight the escalating situation.

A diplomatic incident occurred earlier this month when Chiapas state police pursued alleged gunmen into Guatemala, resulting in a prolonged shootout in the border town of La Mesilla. This cross-border conflict underscores the complex challenges facing law enforcement.

The increasing militarization of both cartels and law enforcement has created a technological arms race, with each side attempting to gain tactical advantages through advanced surveillance and counter-surveillance measures.

Why This Story Matters

This story serves as a wake-up call about the increasing reach and technical sophistication of criminal organizations. The fallout from a single data breach not only costs lives but may have impacted years of intelligence work. Communities both in the U.S. and Mexico have a vested interest in understanding and addressing how digital vulnerabilities can be weaponized in transnational crime.

Conclusion

In 2018, a hacker recruited by Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel infiltrated Mexico City’s camera network and compromised the phone of a U.S. embassy official. Using this access, the cartel tracked meetings with potential FBI informants, some of whom were later intimidated or killed. The incident, revealed in a Justice Department audit, demonstrates how emerging digital threats are reshaping organized crime.

Meanwhile, Mexican authorities continue to respond with technological innovations such as armed drones, showing the shifting landscape of cartel enforcement. With the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels vying for dominance, the dangers remain clear—and spreading. The FBI, now aware of these risks, plans to increase training and bolster its defenses to prevent similar breaches in the future.