The CIA has significantly expanded covert operations against Mexican drug cartels, including alleged involvement in targeted lethal missions inside Mexico.
According to a report from CNN, the CIA were involved in the March 28th killing of Francisco Beltran, an alleged mid-level Sinaloa Cartel operative known as “El Payin.”
Beltran died when an explosive device hidden inside his vehicle detonated on a major highway outside Mexico City.
Mexican officials confirmed the blast was caused by a device placed in the car, while sources told CNN the operation involved CIA personnel.
Since 2025, the CIA’s elite Ground Branch unit has taken a more direct role in anti-cartel operations, moving beyond intelligence sharing into operational support and targeted strikes.
The escalation follows President Trump’s designation of major Mexican cartels, including Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation, as foreign terrorist organizations.
The report also states that the CIA has increased surveillance operations over Mexico and expanded its ground presence, though the number of operatives remains relatively small.
A bomb which killed a mid-level member of the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico earlier this year was spearheaded by CIA’s Ground Branch, according to new reporting by CNN.
Francisco “El Payin” Beltran and another cartel member identified as Humberto “N” were killed after leaving the… pic.twitter.com/gNIpGexCJP
— Spycraft101 (@spycraft101) May 13, 2026
The shift appears to be driven in part by U.S. concerns that cartel groups have penetrated parts of the Mexican government and security apparatus.
That tension surfaced recently after CIA operatives were reportedly involved in a meth lab raid in Chihuahua without full authorization from Mexico’s federal government.
Exclusive: Earlier this spring, a mysterious explosion blew up a car carrying an alleged cartel operative in broad daylight, on one of Mexico’s busiest highways, just outside of its capital city.
It was a targeted assassination facilitated by CIA ops officers on the ground.…
— Natasha Bertrand (@NatashaBertrand) May 12, 2026
Mexico’s leftist President Claudia Sheinbaum publicly objected to the raid, saying foreign agents cannot independently operate on Mexican soil.
Last year, her government attempted to change the country’s constitution to protect the cartels, saying any attacks would amount to an attack on the country’s “sovereignty.”
“What we want to make clear in the face of this designation is that we do not negotiate sovereignty,” Sheinbaum said at the time.
“This cannot be an opportunity on the part of the United States to invade our sovereignty.”
Mexico’s President Plans to Change Constitution to Protect Drug Cartels From U.S. Military Strikes
CIA personnel were also present during the operation that killed Jalisco cartel leader “El Mencho,” providing real-time intelligence and support, though Mexican forces carried out the strike.
The Trump administration has made cartel destruction a central national security priority.
A recent White House counterterrorism strategy stated that “neutralization” of cartels in the Western Hemisphere is its top objective.
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