Overview

• A hacker hired by the Sinaloa Cartel in 2018 accessed an FBI assistant legal attaché’s phone number to obtain call logs and geolocation data.
• The same hacker infiltrated Mexico City’s public camera network to track the attaché’s movements and identify confidential informants.
• According to the audit, the cartel used this intelligence to intimidate and, in some cases, kill potential sources and cooperating witnesses.
• The Justice Department Inspector General’s audit frames the breach as part of a broader surge in criminal exploitation of ubiquitous technical surveillance and warns of widening vulnerabilities.
• The FBI is developing a strategic mitigation plan that includes enhanced training and procedural reforms to fortify informant protection and counter future cyber-surveillance threats.