Fact Check: Hacker's breach allowed cartel to kill potential FBI informants.

Fact Check: "Hacker's breach allowed cartel to kill potential FBI informants."

What We Know

A recent report from the Justice Department's inspector general revealed that a Mexican drug cartel, specifically the Sinaloa cartel, hired a hacker to surveil a senior FBI official in Mexico City. This breach allowed the cartel to gather sensitive information, including phone records and geolocation data, which facilitated the targeting and killing of potential FBI informants (Reuters, ABC7). The report indicates that the hacker exploited the city's surveillance camera system to track the movements of the FBI official and others associated with the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City (CNN).

The inspector general's findings highlight a significant operational security breach that occurred while the FBI was investigating former Sinaloa cartel leader Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzmán Loera. The report stated that the cartel used the information obtained from the hacker to intimidate and, in some cases, kill sources or cooperating witnesses (CNN, ABC7).

Analysis

The evidence presented in the inspector general's report is corroborated by multiple reputable news sources, including CNN, Reuters, and ABC7, which all report on the same findings regarding the cartel's use of a hacker to compromise FBI operations (Reuters, ABC7, CNN). The sources are credible, as they are established news organizations with a history of investigative reporting on drug cartels and law enforcement activities.

The implications of this breach are severe, raising concerns about the vulnerabilities of U.S. law enforcement to high-tech surveillance tactics employed by criminal organizations. The report suggests that advancements in technology have made it easier for less sophisticated entities to exploit such vulnerabilities, posing an "existential" threat to national security (CNN).

Moreover, the report's claims are supported by statements from law enforcement officials, such as Derek Maltz, the former acting DEA administrator, who emphasized the sophisticated technology used by cartels to enhance their operations and evade law enforcement (CNN). This context adds weight to the claim that the cartel's actions, facilitated by the hacker, directly led to the deaths of informants.

Conclusion

The claim that a hacker's breach allowed a cartel to kill potential FBI informants is True. The evidence from the Justice Department's inspector general report, along with corroborating reports from multiple reputable news sources, confirms that the Sinaloa cartel utilized information obtained through hacking to target and kill individuals who were cooperating with the FBI.

Fact Check: Hacker's breach allowed cartel to kill potential FBI informants.