US intel leads to capture of cartel-linked baby trafficking, organ harvesting ringleader

U.S. intelligence aided in the capture of an alleged female ringleader of a cartel-linked baby trafficking and organ harvesting network, officials announced Wednesday.

The National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), part of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), provided intelligence that supported the arrest of Martha Alicia Mendez Aguilar, also known as “La Diabla,” according to an agency press release. Aguilar’s network lured pregnant women to remote locations, forced cesarean procedures, harvested organs from the mothers and sold the babies to couples in the U.S. for up to 250,000 pesos (roughly $14,000).

“This is one example of what terrorist cartels will do to diversify their revenue streams and finance operations,” NCTC Director Joe Kent said in a statement. “NCTC delivered critical intelligence on ‘La Diabla’s’ location and developed comprehensive analysis that enabled U.S. and Mexican law enforcement partners to take action. I am proud of our team’s ability to work with our forward-deployed U.S. partners and Mexican law enforcement to stop these horrific acts.”

Thanks to @POTUS, cartels are finally being treated as terrorists. @ODNIgov‘s NCTC recently provided intel to Mexican law enforcement partners that led to the arrest of Martha Alicia Mendez Aguilar, known as ‘La Diabla’ — a CJNG cartel-affiliated baby trafficker, in Juarez,… pic.twitter.com/CRNgJWVHkV

— NCTC Director Joe Kent (@NCTCKent) September 24, 2025

The Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG)-affiliated baby trafficking ringleader was captured in Juarez, Mexico, on Sept. 2, according to ODNI. The operation was executed by Mexican law enforcement partners and Fiscalia Especializada en la Mujer (the Special Prosecutor’s Office for Women) with the support of the U.S. Marshals Service El Paso, the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation El Paso, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, according to the press release.

“NCTC remains committed to disrupting all aspects of terrorist cartels and their operations. And in this case, the lives of innocent women and children depended on it,” Kent said.

Since returning to the Oval Office, President Donald Trump has intensified his crackdown on cartels. On day one, he signed an executive order directing the State Department to label certain cartels and transnational gangs as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs). On Feb. 20, the State Department officially designated groups — including CJNG, Tren de Aragua and MS-13 — as FTOs.

“As a result of these efforts, NCTC is applying two decades of counterterrorism expertise to assist law enforcement partners in targeting FTO-designated cartels, like CJNG, who use violent tactics, terrorize localized communities, and gain control over territory that enables them to engage in profitable illicit activity,” the press release stated.

On Friday, U.S. forces conducted a strike on a cartel boat carrying more than 2,000 pounds of cocaine, marking the third such strike this month targeting a drug-trafficking vessel operating in the U.S. Southern Command’s area of responsibility.

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