Fact Check: "Mexican cartel hired hacker to surveil senior FBI official in 2018"
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 in 2018. The hacker was able to access information from the city's camera system and track the movements of the FBI official, including their phone calls and geolocation data. This breach of operational security reportedly allowed the cartel to identify and target potential FBI informants, leading to intimidation and, in some cases, murder of these individuals (CNN, CyberScoop).
The report indicates that the hacker was able to monitor people entering and exiting the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City and focused on the FBI's assistant legal attache, a position that collaborates closely with Mexican law enforcement. The cartel used the information gathered by the hacker to compromise the safety of cooperating witnesses (NewsNation, iHeart).
Analysis
The claim that a Mexican cartel hired a hacker to surveil an FBI official is substantiated by multiple credible sources, including a detailed report from the Justice Department inspector general. The report outlines how the cartel exploited advanced surveillance techniques to track the FBI official and gather sensitive information. This incident highlights the increasing sophistication of criminal organizations in leveraging technology for illicit purposes.
The sources used in this fact check are reliable. CNN and CyberScoop are well-established news organizations known for their investigative journalism, and they have reported on the findings of the inspector general's report. The corroboration from multiple outlets adds to the credibility of the claim. Additionally, the inspector general's report itself serves as a primary source, providing direct insight into the FBI's operational vulnerabilities and the implications of this surveillance breach (CNN, CyberScoop).
However, it is important to note that while the report provides detailed accounts of the surveillance activities, it does not disclose the identity of the hacker or the specific methods used, which could limit the depth of understanding regarding the technical aspects of the breach.
Conclusion
The claim that a Mexican cartel hired a hacker to surveil a senior FBI official in 2018 is True. The evidence presented in the inspector general's report, along with corroborating reports from reputable news sources, confirms that the cartel utilized sophisticated surveillance techniques to compromise the safety of FBI informants. This incident underscores the ongoing challenges faced by law enforcement in combating technologically adept criminal organizations.
