Cartel Member “La Diabla” Arrested in Shocking Baby Trafficking Scheme
JUÁREZ, Mexico — Authorities have arrested Martha Alicia Mendez Aguilar, also known as “La Diabla,” a high-level operative within the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, in connection with a disturbing human trafficking and organ harvesting operation.
Mendez Aguilar was captured last month in Juarez, near the U.S. border city of El Paso, during a joint operation carried out by Mexican and U.S. law enforcement, including assistance from the FBI’s El Paso field office. Her arrest was confirmed by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
According to federal investigators, Aguilar was part of a criminal network that lured pregnant women, performed unauthorized C-sections, and then sold the newborns to couples in the United States for up to 250,000 pesos (approximately $14,000). Authorities further allege the group was involved in harvesting organs from some of the victims.
Officials are calling the case one of the most chilling examples of transnational organized crime linked to a Mexican cartel. The investigation remains ongoing, and further arrests may follow.
