How Cartels Are Exploiting The Cyber Space To Expand Their Activities

Cartels are increasingly turning to the cyber space to expand their criminal enterprises, not limiting themselves to recruiting operatives through social media.

In an interview with specialized outlet InSight Crime, Antonio Nicaso, a professor at Queen’s University in Canada and director of the Cybercrime Research Center at Italy’s Magna Grecia Foundation, detailed some of the most significant activities being conducted by these organizations.

The expert said that cartels are now recruiting experts in artificial intelligence and cyber security, not only lawyers and accountants. He said that, for example, these hires could be asked to build encrypted communication systems, mine cryptocurrencies, and operate in the dark web. Groups such as Brazil’s PCC and Comando Vermelho are investing heavily in cryptocurrencies as part of their operations, he added.

The International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) last year linked the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) 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.

Moreover, an April investigation by the Mexican military revealed that cybercriminals tied to the 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.

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.

The Jalisco Cartel is also using social media to lure potential recruits, with a new investigation revealing some of the terms used by cartels to recruit operatives on social media.

The report analyzed 100 accounts and determined they focus on three pillars: hyping up cartels, showing off weapons and a luxurious lifestyle and, in some cases, openly recruiting people.

The videos are mostly targeted at people aged 14 to 24, most of them low-income. The report highlights that the Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG) spearheads the efforts, with hundreds of linked profiles that glorify criminal organizations and their actions.

The groups use hashtags to illustrate support on social media, but there are also some common terms related to the cartel world altogether, including work for the “maña” and “belicones.”

In some cases, the report said, operatives openly say they are recruiting “cooks” for clandestine drug labs, drivers or guards.

People are also pitching themselves for these posts. According to a recent report by Milenio, videos shared on TikTok show a group of at least 15 individuals aged between 17 and 32 years old show them expressing their wish to join the Jalisco cartel and become hitmen.