Russia ramps up espionage operations against US from Mexico
Russian intelligence services are intensifying their presence in Mexico, conducting espionage operations targeting the United States, reported NBC. According to the station, this marks a return to old tactics from the Cold War era, as confirmed by officials and former American intelligence agents.
22 September 2024 12:56
In recent years, Moscow has significantly increased the number of staff at its embassy in Mexico City. According to NBC, this move aims to strengthen the Kremlin's intelligence operations against the USA and to 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," assessed 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, ongoing cyberattacks, and widespread global disinformation campaigns.
Mexico, as noted by NBC, quoting Douglas London, a retired CIA operations officer, is a "very benign environment for Russians". However, American officials also fear manipulation of the information landscape in Mexico by the Kremlin. Russia aims 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," reported NBC, citing their sources.
GRU in Mexico
General Glen VanHerck, Head of the United States Northern Command, also highlighted the presence of Russian intelligence service GRU in Mexico during a hearing in the Senate Armed Services Committee in March 2022.
In response to these revelations, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador stated that he does not have such information and that Mexico is a "free, independent, sovereign country."
