A hacker employed by Mexico's Sinaloa Cartel infiltrated FBI surveillance operations as recently as 2018 using data from cell phones and surveillance cameras in Mexico City to target U.S. informants, according to a report released by the Department of Justice's Office of the Inspector General.
The report states that the hacker tracked the FBI's assistant legal attaché in Mexico City, a senior official responsible for liaising with Mexican law enforcement during the investigation into Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán. The hacker accessed geolocation data, phone call records, and surveillance footage from the city's camera system, enabling the cartel to monitor movements in and out of the U.S. Embassy and follow the attaché's contacts.
"According to the case agent, the cartel used [information provided by the hacker] to intimidate and, in some instances, kill potential sources or cooperating witnesses," another passage of the report adds.
The breach occurred as Guzmán faced federal charges in New York, including leading a criminal enterprise and murder conspiracies. He was sentenced to life in prison in 2019. The Inspector General's findings highlight how cartels have adopted advanced technologies to counter U.S. law enforcement operations.
"The cartels run a multi-billion-dollar global enterprise and utilize sophisticated technology to enhance their business operations," former DEA official Derek Maltz told CNN. "They utilize state-of-the-art surveillance techniques to identify law enforcement activities and their adversaries."
The DOJ report also warns of growing national security risks due to "ubiquitous technical surveillance" — a term referring to the widespread availability and use of commercial technologies that can be exploited by criminal organizations. It notes that such surveillance tools now allow "less-sophisticated nations and criminal enterprises to identify and exploit vulnerabilities."
Some within the FBI and CIA have described this threat as "existential," according to the report. In response, the FBI is developing a strategic plan to address these issues and has been advised to increase training for personnel and strengthen its methods for protecting sensitive information.
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