A female cartel leader known as “La Diabla,” who allegedly sold newborn babies to U.S. couples for up to $13,000, has been arrested in Mexico.
Martha Alicia Mendez Aguilar, was picked up in Juarez, Mexico, on September 2, according to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
Aguilar was the ringleader of a baby trafficking operation that was affiliated with the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), the department said.
The Trump administration has vowed to crack down hard on cartels, even imposing harsh economic sanctions on Mexico to stymie the flow of fentanyl and other illicit products into the U.S. The CJNG has been one of its top targets.
The operation run by Aguilar lured pregnant women to remote locations, performed illegal cesarean procedures, harvested the organs from the mothers’ bodies, and sold the newborns to couples in the U.S.
Newborns would be sold for up to 250,000 pesos, the equivalent of around $13,600.
The arrest of Aguilar, whose nickname means “the female Devil” in Spanish, followed a joint operation by the National Counterterrorism Center and Mexican law enforcement.
“This is one example of what terrorist cartels will do to diversify their revenue streams and finance operations,” said Joe Kent, NCTC Director.
“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. NCTC remains committed to disrupting all aspects of terrorist cartels and their operations.
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“And in this case, the lives of innocent women and children depended on it.”
The arrest was supported by the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, the FBI, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
It was carried out by Mexican law enforcement partners and Fiscalia Especializada en la Mujer (the Special Prosecutor’s Office for Women).
U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard praised the arrest on X, writing: “Exceptional work by our team at @ODNIgov National Counterterrorism Center who are working hard every day with our US interagency partners, law enforcement, and Mexican law enforcement to defeat cartels and keep the American people safe, secure and free.”
