DOJ: Sinaloa Cartel Hacker Breached FBI Phone, Led to Informant Killings

A Justice Department inspector-general audit released this week found that a hacker employed by Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel penetrated the mobile phone of an FBI assistant legal attaché and tapped into Mexico City’s C5 surveillance-camera network in 2018.

The intruder extracted call logs, geolocation data and live video, enabling the cartel—then operating under Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán’s faction—to track the agent’s movements and identify people who met with U.S. investigators. The cartel used the intelligence to intimidate and, in several instances, kill potential sources and cooperating witnesses, the report said.

The Office of Inspector General cited the episode as evidence of gaps in the FBI’s defenses against “ubiquitous technical surveillance,” recommending tighter access controls, enhanced training and clearer policies for personnel operating overseas. The bureau classifies the threat as a top-tier risk.

Mexico City’s C5 command center said it has no record of a current breach and stressed that the incident predates the administration of Mayor Clara Brugada. Officials noted the hack occurred in 2018, during the term of former Mayor Miguel Ángel Mancera and President Enrique Peña Nieto, adding that network segmentation and other cybersecurity upgrades have since been implemented.