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In a move that further escalates Washington’s fight against Mexican organized crime, the CIA has expanded its covert operations in Mexico, with agency operatives reportedly participating in deadly strikes targeting high-ranking cartel figures. According to information obtained by CNN, the Central Intelligence Agency’s elite Ground Branch unit has been secretly involved in several operations in recent years, including a high-profile car bombing in March near Mexico City that resulted in the death of alleged Sinaloa Cartel operative, El Puyin’ Beltran.
While the CIA’s involvement in these operations has remained largely under the radar, the agency reportedly targeted Beltran in a calculated move to disrupt the cartel’s leadership and dismantle its operational structure. The operation, which took place in the early stages of this year, highlights the CIA’s increasing engagement with Mexico’s security apparatus to combat the nation’s entrenched corruption and cartels.
Ground Branch, a special clandestine unit within the CIA, has long been known for its expertise in conducting covert operations behind enemy lines, particularly in regions with high levels of insurgent activity. The unit’s activities in Mexico underscore the agency’s strategic shift towards counter-narcotics operations, where clandestine methods often yield the most effective results.
A former federal law enforcement official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, stated that such secret missions are often the only avenue for the U.S. to target Mexican cartels due to the complexities and risks present when operating within a foreign nation’s borders. Operations may also involve working closely with elements of the Mexican military to secure valuable strategic intelligence on cartel leaders, their networks and their tactics.
CIA involvement in Mexico has not only been marked by operations that eliminate high-level cartels but also the training of specialized law enforcement units tasked with countering organized crime. Washington has long considered Mexican security concerns a pressing national priority, given estimates that Mexican cartels generate significant profits from U.S. consumers for trafficking illicit substances onto American soil.
As U.S.-Mexico relations continue to navigate increased pressure, the CIA’s expanded covert operations underscore the complex web of challenges that American policymakers must confront in addressing Mexican organized crime.
(CNN contributed to reporting on this article).