CIA intensifies secret war against cartels in Mexico - CNN
Kyiv • UNN
The CIA is conducting covert operations to eliminate members of Mexican cartels. The Ground Branch special unit is involved.
The CIA is intensifying its secret war against cartels, conducting lethal operations in Mexico, CNN reports citing sources, according to UNN.
Details
Earlier this spring, a mysterious explosion occurred on one of Mexico's busiest highways near the capital, destroying a vehicle that reportedly carried a drug cartel member.
Francisco Beltrán was killed instantly along with his driver; their bodies were found in their seats following the powerful blast. Video and photos of the March 28 attack show a rapid flash of flame, after which the car continues to roll forward, veering off the road.
Beltrán, known as "El Payin," was accused of being a mid-level member of the Sinaloa Cartel, one of Mexico's most notorious drug cartels, according to Mexican security analysts and sources familiar with his activities.
Mexican authorities are maintaining strict secrecy surrounding the explosion, "but multiple sources tell CNN that the attack was a targeted assassination carried out with the involvement of CIA operatives," the publication writes. An explosive device had been hidden inside the car, Mexico's Attorney General reported.
"The Beltrán operation was part of a previously unreported, expanded CIA campaign in Mexico, led by the agency's elite and secretive 'Ground Branch' unit, aimed at dismantling entrenched cartel networks," these sources and two others familiar with the campaign told CNN. US President Donald Trump has designated several such groups as foreign terrorist organizations and stated they are at war with the United States.
According to sources, "since last year, CIA personnel in Mexico have been directly involved in lethal attacks on several, mostly mid-level, cartel members." "The lethality of their operations has increased significantly," said one person briefed on the operations. "This is a significant expansion of the scope of CIA activities in Mexico."
The level of CIA involvement in the operations varied, according to sources, "from more passive intelligence sharing and providing joint support to direct participation in elimination operations."