In a joint U.S.-Mexican operation last month, authorities captured a cartel figure accused of leading a violent infant trafficking network in northern Mexico, according to senior intelligence officials.
Martha Alicia Mendez Aguilar, known as “La Diabla,” was arrested on September 2. Officials allege that the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) lured vulnerable pregnant women to remote areas, where traffickers performed illegal cesarean procedures, killed the mothers, harvested their organs, and sold the newborns on illicit markets. Intelligence reports suggest infants were sold to U.S. couples for up to 250,000 pesos, about $14,000 each.
The National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) provided intelligence that helped Mexican authorities track Aguilar’s movements. NCTC Director Joe Kent described the case as evidence of cartels adopting terrorist-style operations to fund activities. The U.S. Marshals Service, FBI El Paso, Diplomatic Security Service, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection supported the mission, while Mexico’s Special Prosecutor’s Office for Women carried out the arrest. Aguilar remains in custody as investigations continue.
The operation highlights Washington’s growing campaign against Mexican cartels. In January, President Trump signed an executive order to classify cartels and transnational gangs as foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs). By February, eight groups, including CJNG, were formally designated.
The designation expands U.S. counterterrorism tools—intelligence capabilities, sanctions, and even military support—beyond conventional criminal prosecution. Proponents argue this reflects the hybrid nature of cartels that combine narcotrafficking, territorial control, and extreme violence. Critics warn of potential overreach and unintended consequences for U.S.-Mexico relations.
NCTC reports that over 21,000 cartel members and associates are now in its classified terrorist database, generating 35,000 linked identities. Since the start of the Trump administration, 6,525 individuals identified as terrorists have been denied entry into the United States.
