Russia ramps up espionage efforts in Mexico targeting the US
6:37 AM EDT, September 22, 2024
Russian intelligence services are intensifying their presence in Mexico, conducting espionage operations targeting the United States, NBC reported. According to the station, this is a return to old tactics from the Cold War era, as confirmed by officials and former American intelligence agents.
In recent years, Moscow has significantly increased the number of personnel at its embassy in Mexico City. According to NBC, this move aims to strengthen the Kremlin's intelligence operations against the US and conduct propaganda activities aimed at weakening Washington and Ukraine.
"Part of this is a function of the fact that so many Russian intelligence officers have been kicked out of Europe. So they’re looking for places to go and looking for places in which they can operate," said CIA Director William Burns, quoted by NBC.
Russia spreads disinformation
The Kremlin aims to silence critics abroad, undermine support for Ukraine, and weaken Western democracies. According to NBC, this includes attempts at sabotage in Europe, assassination plans, relentless cyberattacks, and extensive global disinformation campaigns.
Mexico, as NBC notes, quoting Douglas London, a retired CIA operations officer, is a "very benign environment for Russians." However, American officials are also concerned about the Kremlin manipulating the information landscape in Mexico. Russia seeks not only to weaken international support for Ukraine but also to sow social divisions.
"In April, the Russian ambassador to Mexico posted a false report by Russian state media claiming that the U.S. was recruiting members of drug cartels from Mexico and Colombia to send them to fight in Ukraine. The baseless account was picked up by some Mexican news organizations." Some Mexican news organizations picked up the baseless story, reported NBC, citing its sources.
GRU in Mexico
General Glen VanHerck, head of US Northern Command, in March 2022 during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing also highlighted the presence of the Russian intelligence service GRU in Mexico.
In response to these revelations, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador stated that he does not have such information, then added that Mexico is a "free, independent, sovereign country".
