The Justice Department has confirmed a high-profile case involving a hacker affiliated with the Sinaloa Cartel, who in 2018 gained access to data from an FBI official’s phone and exploited Mexico City’s surveillance system to track and potentially eliminate informants and witnesses. The incident was brought to light by an Inspector General’s audit of the FBI’s efforts to manage the risks of ubiquitous technical surveillance (UTS), a term describing the widespread collection, storage, and analysis of data from everyday technologies such as smartphones, computers, and even vehicle systems.
According to the report, the hacker was part of an operation that identified an FBI Assistant Legal Attaché (ALAT) at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City and leveraged the attaché’s phone number to retrieve calls made, received, and geolocation data. Using this information, the hacker accessed the city’s surveillance camera system, enabling them to track the ALAT’s movements and identify those with whom the official met. The cartel then used this data to intimidate and possibly kill potential sources or witnesses, as per the case agent’s report.
The FBI was actively engaged in the case of Joaquin ‘El Chapo’ Guzman, the former leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, who was extradited in 2017. The report suggests that the hacker’s services were reported to the FBI by a third party, raising concerns about the infiltration of intelligence agencies by organized crime networks.
While the identities of the hacker and victims remain undisclosed, the incident has sparked discussions about the growing risks to global cybersecurity and the necessity for enhanced measures to safeguard sensitive information. Additionally, the report stresses the increasing capacity of less sophisticated entities, including criminal organizations, to exploit data vulnerabilities created by the proliferation of UTS. Fox News Digital has contacted the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City, the State Department, the FBI, and the Justice Department for further details on the case.