The Central Intelligence Agency has dramatically escalated covert operations inside Mexico, with elite operatives directly participating in deadly strikes against drug cartel members. The agency’s Ground Branch unit executed a car bombing on March 28 outside Mexico City that killed Sinaloa Cartel operative Francisco Beltran and his driver, marking a significant expansion of lethal American action on foreign soil.

Deadly Operations Escalate Under Terror Designation

Multiple intelligence sources confirm the CIA’s Ground Branch—the agency’s paramilitary arm—has ramped up targeted killings following President Trump’s designation of Mexican cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. One source briefed on the operations told CNN the lethality represents a major shift in what the CIA has been willing to do inside Mexico. The March car bombing targeted mid-level Sinaloa operative Francisco Beltran, known as El Payin, killing him and his driver on a highway outside the Mexican capital.

Mexico Rejects Unilateral Lethal Action Claims

Mexican Security Minister Omar Hamid Garcia Harfuch publicly rejected claims of unilateral foreign operations on Mexican territory. Garcia Harfuch emphasized all cooperation with American agencies operates through institutional channels respecting national sovereignty. He stated operational actions inside Mexico remain exclusively under Mexican authority control, while bilateral cooperation focuses on intelligence sharing and formal government coordination mechanisms. The CIA declined comment on the report, and Mexican agencies did not respond to requests.

What This Means For Border Security

The expanded CIA campaign represents Washington’s most aggressive counter-cartel posture in decades, directly targeting leadership of organizations responsible for fentanyl trafficking that kills tens of thousands of Americans annually. The terrorist designation provides legal framework for military-style operations previously restricted to war zones. However, the operations risk straining diplomatic relations with Mexico and potentially triggering cartel retaliation against American interests. The Ground Branch typically operates in conflict zones including Afghanistan and Iraq, making their deployment inside a neighboring country unprecedented in recent history.