Cartel Cyber-Infiltration: The Dark Side of Surveillance

A hacker affiliated with the notorious Sinaloa drug cartel successfully infiltrated the FBI, accessing sensitive phone records and leveraging Mexico City's surveillance cameras to monitor and target the agency's informants in 2018, according to a report by the U.S. Justice Department released on Thursday.

The Justice Department Inspector General's audit revealed the incident during an evaluation of the FBI's countermeasures against widespread technical surveillance. This breach, associated with the infamous cartel led by Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán, underscores the pervasive risks linked to the global proliferation of detection technologies, affecting communications, travel, and location tracking.

The report details how the hacker targeted an FBI official at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City to obtain personal call logs and geolocation data, subsequently using the city's camera network to track the official's activities. This intelligence was then employed by the cartel to threaten and, in some instances, eliminate potential informants. The report, while not naming the hacker or victims, signals an urgent need for enhanced counter-surveillance strategies as recommended by the FBI.

(With inputs from agencies.)