Surveillance Orders in Mexico Resemble a List of Political Power Figures

A list of powerful members of Mexico’s government, including a leading presidential candidate, the head of the country’s customs agency, and three borough mayors in the capital, were recently under surveillance by the Mexico City attorney general’s office. At least 14 written orders directed Mexico’s largest telecommunications company to hand over phone and text records, as well as location data, of these officials and politicians. The surveillance from 2021 until earlier this year included both opponents of the governing Morena party and its allies. The attorney general’s office said the information was being sought in connection with investigations into kidnappings and disappearances; however, according to court records, the attorney general’s office “categorically denies” demanding the phone records of the officials and politicians named in the orders. The Mexico City attorney general’s office did not have criminal investigations on file for these officials and politicians. It seems there is a larger, systemic abuse of power happening as the same tactics the administration has condemned have been employed. Any emergency cases where a life is endangered may have allowed investigators to immediately obtain phone records without a warrant, but prosecutors still would have been required to get a warrant from a federal judge within 48 hours of approaching telecommunications companies, which the attorney general’s office did not do. Telcel acknowledged receiving orders and handing over records, which include those of powerful figures within Morena, the governing party, and some of its opponents. Telcel did not respond to requests for comment.