US, Mexican authorities deny claims CIA is assassinating cartel members in Mexico
May 18, 2026 4 Comments
AUTHORITIES IN MEXICO AND the United States have rejected as “fictions” reports in American and Mexican media that Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) personnel are directly involved in assassination operations against the cartels. Notably The New York Times and CNN reported last week that the CIA participated in the killing of mid-level Sinaloa cartel member Francisco “El Playin” Beltran and his driver. The two men were killed by a car bomb on March 28 in a suburb of Mexico City.
According to the reports, Beltran’s killing was part of a rapidly expanding CIA campaign in Mexico, which aims to eliminate selected mid-tier members of the cartels. Some of the operations allegedly involve the participation of the CIA’s so-called “Ground Branch”, which is the paramilitary and covert action wing of the CIA’s Special Activities Center (SAC). Some Ground Branch members have directly participated in assassination operations in Mexico, either in collaboration with the Mexican authorities or as teams operating independently, according to the reports.
But Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum issued an outright denial of the claims last Wednesday during her weekly media conference in Mexico City, describing them as “fictions the size of the universe”. Sheinbaum’s claims came a day after Omar Harfuch, Mexico’s Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection, dismissed the reports as “false and salacious reporting”, adding that they serve as “nothing more than a [public relations] campaign for the cartels and [put] American lives at risk”.
American officials insist that the role of American military and intelligence agencies in anti-cartel operations in Mexico is limited to training and intelligence-sharing, and stress that American government personnel have no direct involvement in these activities. However, there is intense speculation about the death of two American embassy officials in a car crash in April, following their alleged participation in a counter-cartel operation in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. According to The New York Times, the two embassy officials were CIA officers.
► Author: Joseph Fitsanakis | Date: 18 May 2026 | Permalink
intelNews.org 
An IntelNews article of January 21, 2025 entitled “Is Trump signalling possible CIA covert operations against drug cartels?” at https://intelnews.org/2025/01/21/01-3382/ may be relevant where some sage said https://intelnews.org/2025/01/21/01-3382/#comments :
“Anonymous says: January 27, 2025 at 06:19 Report
All very disturbing. Perhaps Trump is signalling Mexico’s leaders to crackdown on drug cartels or the US will do it for Mexico.
High flying Reaper drones might be the most effective tool for intelligence gathering to find and “follow” drug lords and even to target them with Hellfire missiles.
The CIA may not want to be involved in any “covert” action program that could become overt public knowledge due to Trump’s indiscrete grandstanding style.
It may fall to the US military (especially SOCOM) [1] the DIA and DEA [2] to provide most of the staff for any covert program.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Special_Operations_Command
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug_Enforcement_Administration “
So, hand on heart, the Mexican authorities may be telling the truth the CIA is/was not involved. But given Trump’s high level, pressing, interest there are a wide range of other US agencies that could be ordered to act.
Not CIA but the DEA, DIA or FBI could provide “Ground Branch” activities and intel. Then paramilitary action could come from US Special Forces/SOCOM to fly Reaper drones south, over the border, to track and target cartel bosses. Reapers can fly high enough to be unseen and unheard over cities, villages or farmhouses.
Reaper standard Hellfire missiles may constitutes overkill, harming too many – clearly not car bombs. But there are much smaller “missiles” – 2 stage (inert car roof penetration then millisecond explosive) 20mm to 25mm laser guided bullets that could easily mistaken for car bombs. The Israelis have perfected such technology against Hamas and Hezbollah leaders and could pass this assassination technology to Israel’s US allies.
If US friendly Mexican investigators are doing after action forensics then “car bomb” could become the official story or at least suspicion.
Further to the comment above on “20mm to 25mm laser guided bullets”:
Background – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smart_bullet
A smart bullet is a bullet that is able to do something other than simply follow its given trajectory, such as turning, changing speed or sending data.[1] Such a projectile may be fired from a precision-guided firearm capable of programming its behavior. It is a miniaturized type of precision-guided munition.
Types of smart bullets
In 2012 Sandia National Laboratories announced a self-guided bullet prototype that could track a target illuminated with a laser designator. The bullet is capable of updating its position 30 times a second and hitting targets over a mile away.[3]
In mid-2016, Russia revealed it was developing a similar “smart bullet” weapon designed to hit targets at a distance of up to 10 kilometres (6.2 mi).[4][5]“
Upscaling to a 25mm round for paramilitary intelligence ops – a 25mm round could be fired by a recoilless autocannon mounted on a Reaper. Also helicopters have a long record of firing 25mm rounds with low recoil. High recoil could break a drone or helicopter.
Considering “how explosive is a 25mm round”
Answer (in part) “A [multipurpose] 25mm round is extremely explosive…packing enough power to obliterate light vehicles…Some rounds feature a delayed fuze. They punch through armour or walls and then explode inside the structure or vehicle, ensuring maximum internal damage.”
Intelligence agencies large enough to have such weapons or the resources to call on national Special Forces to deploy them, might include the GRU, CIA, MOSSAD and China’s PLA Intelligence.
Here’s the OA-1K Sky Raider II with recoiless 2.75inch rockets possibly operated above Mexico from Texas by USAF Special Operations Command. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvAyxlmpBdk
This groovy aircraft has a range of 1,300 nautical miles – excellent for loitering over many countries of America’s Latin America and the Caribbean like the coming invasion of Cuba. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L3Harris_OA-1K_Skyraider_II#Specifications_(AT-802U)
Concerted Moves to Bring Down The Castro Regime
US intelligence, Rubio and the Miami group (the last having major political influence in the US) can assist “Fidel Castro’s daughter [Alina Fernández, who] fled [Castro’s] regime. Now, she hopes the US can bring [the Castro regime] down” of May 27, 2026 at https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-05-27/cuba-leader-fidel-castro-daughter-alina-fernandez-on-us-and-life/106724028 [Rubio has a long term stake in this]:
“”Thirteen presidents didn’t know how to deal with Cuba,” [Castro’s daughter] says. “The difference here is that we have Marco Rubio.”
Rubio, Trump’s secretary of state, is the son of Cuban immigrants. His parents immigrated to the US a few years before Fidel Castro took power.
He has spent his political career advocating for regime change and criticising the Cuban government — a popular stance in his hometown, Miami.
Inside Cuba, he is also the face of the Trump administration’s actions.
Earlier this month, [Rubio] recorded a Spanish-language appeal to the people of Cuba, declaring: “The only thing standing in the way of a better future are those who control your country [Cuba].”
… “For months, the US has been boosting its military assets in the Caribbean, last week moving an aircraft carrier to the region. The Trump administration is openly questioning whether a peaceful solution is possible.
Many Cubans who fled the regime and planted roots in Miami are supportive of US intervention.”
Comment: Moves against Cuba would certainly shift the gaze of Americans away from Hormuz Strait oil.