Mexican authorities arrested the former head of the cyber intelligence unit for Mexico City Police on allegations that he used his position to spy on political rivals.
This week, the Mexico City Attorney General’s Office (FGJ) arrested Jose Roberto “Chicken Little” Uribe Ruiz on abuse of power charges.
The former official remains jailed pending further proceedings.
The allegations point to the previous Mexico City administration of Miguel Angel Mancera from the Revolutionary Democratic Party (PRD) for spying on their Morena Party successors. According to the Mexico City’s Attorney General’s Office, the network operated out of a two-story building near Manuel Márquez Sterling Street in Cuauhtemoc.
On September 23, 2020, the Attorney General of Mexico City announced that they were investigating espionage activities carried out by public officials from the past administration. At the time, authorities pointed to an apartment address that turned into a clandestine espionage office. When authorities searched the property, they found computer equipment and other electronic devices. Allegedly, the group tried to erase most of the data, however authorities claimed forensic analysis helped to continue their investigation.
The espionage targets were individuals who worked closely with President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, such as Marcelo Ebrard, Foreign Relations Minister, and Claudia Sheinbaum, the head of government for Mexico City.
According to information released by the FGJ, Uribe Ruiz, along with 10 other unnamed employees still under investigation, used state-of-the-art technology, tapped phones, hacked networks and applications, and used other surveillance equipment. The espionage facility had 42 computers, 12 motorcycles, 10 cars, drones, and other items funded by Mancera and his administration.
Luisana Moreno is a contributing writer for Breitbart Texas.