Sinaloa cartel hacker tracks and kills FBI informants using surveillance tech

In 2018, a hacker engaged by the Sinaloa Cartel exploited advanced surveillance technology to harm potential FBI informants in Mexico. By obtaining sensitive data from an FBI official’s phone records, including call logs and geolocation, the hacker was able to map the movements of the FBI’s Assistant Legal Attaché and monitor interactions with informants. Utilizing the surveillance camera system of Mexico City, the cartel tracked this FBI agent’s activities, identifying whom they met. This culmination of technical surveillance and phone hacking was detailed in a new report by the Justice Department Inspector General, shedding light on how drug cartels exploit technology to further their illicit activities and threaten law enforcement officials. The report criticizes the implications this has on the safety of informants, noting that the cartel used the gathered information to intimidate and murder cooperating witnesses. The circumstances surrounding this incident illustrate the challenges U.S. law enforcement face against sophisticated technological operations from violent drug cartels. The Sinaloa Cartel, labeled a terrorist organization by the Trump administration, remains one of the most powerful entities in global drug trafficking, particularly in the production and distribution of deadly substances like fentanyl, penetrating deeply into U.S. markets. The findings of the audit raise significant concerns regarding the FBI's operational security amid a narrative of increasing risks posed by technical advancements perceived as existential threats to national security. FBI and other agencies are urged to reassess their operational protocols to safeguard sensitive information from adversaries armed with advanced surveillance capabilities.