U.S. Intelligence Helps Capture Cartel-Linked “La Diabla,” Alleged Leader of Infant Trafficking Ring

In a joint U.S.-Mexican operation earlier this month, authorities arrested a cartel figure accused of running a brutal infant trafficking network in northern Mexico, senior intelligence officials confirmed to CBS News.

Martha Alicia Mendez Aguilar, known as “La Diabla,” was captured on Sept. 2. U.S. officials allege that Aguilar, linked to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), lured impoverished pregnant women to remote areas where cartel members carried out illegal cesarean procedures. The women were killed, their organs allegedly harvested, and their newborns sold on the black market, according to U.S. intelligence. Officials estimate each infant was sold for roughly $14,000.

The operation was driven by intelligence from the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), working with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, U.S. Marshals Service, FBI El Paso, Diplomatic Security Service, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Mexican authorities, including the Fiscalía Especializada en la Mujer (Special Prosecutor’s Office for Women), carried out the arrest. Aguilar remains in Mexican custody, and the investigation continues.

“This case is an example of what terrorist cartels will do to diversify their revenue streams and finance operations,” NCTC Director Joe Kent said, crediting analysts for tracking Aguilar’s movements and coordinating with Mexican forces.

The capture comes amid Washington’s heightened focus on Mexican cartels. Earlier this year, President Trump signed an executive order directing the State Department to classify cartels and transnational gangs as foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs). In February, the State Department designated eight groups, including CJNG.

The move allows U.S. agencies to apply expanded counterterrorism tools—intelligence, sanctions, and even military assistance—to cartel operations, beyond standard criminal prosecution. Supporters say the policy reflects the cartels’ growing use of terror tactics, while critics warn of potential overreach.

NCTC reports that more than 21,000 cartel members and associates have been entered into its classified terrorist database, with 35,000 related identities tracked. The agency stated that 6,525 terrorists have been denied entry to the U.S. since the beginning of the Trump administration.