Recent investigations by the Mexican military revealed that cybercriminals tied to the Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) have attempted to infiltrate the networks of security agencies, including the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection, the National Intelligence Center, and state-run oil company Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex).
Military sources familiar with the matter told local outlet Milenio that the Jalisco Cartel is recruiting young tech experts to breach the computer systems of security agencies through methods such as vulnerability scans, intrusions, phishing, and by using malicious software in order to infiltrate the systems.
A military official told the outlet that despite thousands of attempts to breach security systems, Mexico's Secretariat of National Defense (Defensa) has not reported any damage to its IT infrastructure thanks to constant updates aimed at containing cyberattacks.
Between 2021 and 2023, the official said, the agency recorded a 529% increase in cyberattacks, rising from an average of 6.2 per day to 39. Last year, the Mexican Army averaged 27 attempted intrusions per day, most involving direct breaches and phishing — the practice of sending fraudulent messages through email and text messaging that appear legitimate.
Similarly, the Mexican Navy's systems averaged 4,600 attempted intrusions per day between 2018 and 2024.
Amid the surge, the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) last year linked the Jalisco New Generation Cartel to a global financial fraud scheme involving advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence and large language models—tools that enable sophisticated scams at low cost and without the need for advanced technical skills.
"There is growing evidence that Latin American criminal groups such as Comando Vermelho, Primeiro Comando da Capital and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel are also involved in the commission of financial fraud," Interpol warned.
According to the official, the Secretariat of National Defense and the National Intelligence Center are continuously monitoring hacker activity. He added that each agency has the necessary infrastructure to safeguard sensitive information, including the identities of officials, operational plans, and security projections—key elements in protecting against attacks from criminal organizations.
Jalisco Cartel using social media to recruit new members
From fake job postings to propaganda on social media, the Jalisco Cartel has been using platforms like TikTok to lure young recruits.
According to the Drug Enforcement Administration's 2024 National Drug Threat Assessment, social media platforms and encrypted messaging apps have expanded the cartel's reach into communities across the United States and nearly 50 other countries.
The report states that traffickers and their associates use digital tools to advertise and sell drugs, collect payments, recruit and train couriers, and deliver products—often without ever meeting customers in person.
The criminal organization, led by Nemesio "El Mencho" Oseguera Cervantes, has also turned to online video games to target teenagers. In 2023, The Latin Times reported that games such as Call of Duty Mobile, Roblox, Grand Theft Auto, and Free Fire had been exploited by cartels to connect with potential recruits.
A 2013 testimony from a former U.S. National Security Agency agent noted that Mexican cartels have adopted recruitment methods used by terrorist groups, including targeting players in games such as World of Warcraft and Second Life.
Mexican journalist Óscar Balderas told InSight Crime in 2021 that once minors are contacted online, they're often lured into meeting in person, kidnapped, and then forced to join criminal groups.
"It might not look like the most efficient way to recruit gunmen... but it is a discreet way to do it," Balderas said. "It's a way to invite adolescents to reach out on their own, to gain their trust," he added.
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