CIA escalates secret war on cartels with deadly operations inside Mexico [View all]

Source: CNN

Exclusive: CIA escalates secret war on cartels with deadly operations inside Mexico

Updated 12 hr ago
Updated May 12, 2026, 7:49 PM ET
PUBLISHED May 12, 2026, 5:01 PM ET

By Natasha Bertrand, Zachary Cohen, Evan Perez, Mauricio Torres

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.

Francisco Beltran was killed instantly along with his driver, their bodies found slumped over in their seats after the concentrated blast. Video and pictures of the attack on March 28 show a quick burst of flames with the car continuing to roll forward, drifting off the highway.

Known as “El Payin,” Beltran was accused of being a mid-level member of the Sinaloa Cartel, one of Mexico’s most notorious drug trafficking syndicates, Mexican security analysts and sources familiar with his activities said.

Mexican authorities have maintained extreme secrecy around the explosion, but multiple sources tell CNN that the attack was a targeted assassination, facilitated by CIA operations officers. An explosive device had been hidden inside the vehicle, the State of Mexico’s Attorney General told CNN.

-snip-

Read more: https://edition.cnn.com/2026/05/12/politics/cia-drug-cartels-deadly-operations-mexico