In a chilling revelation that exposes the vulnerabilities of modern surveillance, a new U.S. Justice Department report claims the infamous Sinaloa drug cartel hacked into an FBI official’s phone to hunt down and eliminate informants in Mexico.
According to the DOJ Inspector General’s audit, a hacker connected to Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán’s powerful cartel accessed the phone data of an FBI assistant legal attaché based at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City back in 2018. Using the agent’s number, the hacker reportedly pulled call logs and geolocation data… effectively turning the agent’s phone into a real-time tracking device.
But the breach didn’t stop there. The report states the cartel-linked hacker also tapped into Mexico City’s surveillance camera network. With this high-tech access, they followed the FBI official’s movements through the capital and monitored meetings with potential informants.
The result? The cartel allegedly used that sensitive intel to intimidate or kill individuals who were cooperating with U.S. authorities.
Though the hacker, the FBI official, and the victims were not named, the Justice Department’s findings raise serious concerns about the ease with which criminal organizations are weaponizing technology to undermine law enforcement.
This case highlights a growing global threat: the rise of what experts call ubiquitous technical surveillance… an ecosystem where commercial data brokers, public surveillance networks, and digital breadcrumbs make it increasingly easy to track individuals without their knowledge.
The report warns that even criminal networks and low-tech adversaries are now capable of exploiting these tools, thanks to the booming data economy.
In response, the FBI is reportedly drafting a strategic plan to strengthen its defenses, including enhanced training for personnel and new security protocols.
As technology evolves, so do the tactics of global crime syndicates… and this incident shows just how far they’re willing to go to silence their enemies.
