El Chapo’s Cyber Revenge: How a Hacker Helped the Sinaloa Cartel Target FBI Informants
A newly released federal report has unveiled a chilling chapter in the ongoing battle between U.S. law enforcement and the Sinaloa Cartel. According to the Department of Justice’s Office of the Inspector General, a hacker working for Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán infiltrated an FBI agent’s cell phone and tapped into Mexico City’s surveillance cameras to track, intimidate, and ultimately kill informants who were assisting the U.S. case against the drug lord. This revelation underscores the extraordinary lengths the cartel went to in order to protect its leader and disrupt American investigations.nnThe report details how, in 2018, the Sinaloa Cartel enlisted a cyberagent to monitor the FBI’s assistant legal attaché in Mexico City, who was deeply involved in the prosecution of Guzmán. By accessing the agent’s phone data and city-wide camera feeds, the hacker was able to identify and target informants, leading to their deaths. Guzmán, who was convicted in 2019 on charges including running a criminal enterprise and murder conspiracies, is currently serving a life sentence in a maximum-security prison in Colorado. His conviction marked a significant victory for U.S. authorities, but this new information reveals the persistent threat posed by his organization.nnIn related developments, never-before-seen videos released by Mexican newspaper El Universal offer a rare glimpse into Guzmán’s first hours in custody after his capture in January 2016. The footage highlights the intense security measures taken to prevent his escape, a lesson learned from his previous prison break in 2015. Meanwhile, Guzmán’s wife, Emma Coronel Aispuro, has been working to reshape her public image, even as her husband remains incarcerated. In a separate case, one of El Chapo’s sons, Joaquín Guzmán López, is reportedly negotiating a plea deal that could spare him the death penalty in exchange for his cooperation in prosecuting other cartel leaders, including his alleged role in luring Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada to the United States.nnDespite these legal victories, the Sinaloa Cartel remains a formidable force, with the DEA naming Guzmán López a key figure in fentanyl trafficking and
Shimanta Das 
