Sold Newborns for $14,000 and Killed Mothers... Female Leader of Mexican Cartel Arrested

Babies Trafficked for $14,000 Each
Apprehended Through Joint U.S.-Mexico Investigation

The female leader of a Mexican criminal organization, who committed heinous crimes by luring pregnant women, forcing them to give birth, selling the babies in the United States, and murdering the mothers, has been apprehended through a joint operation by U.S. and Mexican authorities.

Marta Alicia Mendez Aguilar, the female leader of the Jalisco Cartel in Mexico. DNI

According to CBS News on September 26 (local time), Marta Alicia Mendez Aguilar, a member of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel known by the nickname "La Diablo" (the Devil), was arrested in Mexico. This arrest was made possible through a collaborative investigation between the United States and Mexico, and she was immediately subjected to prosecution procedures following her capture.

According to the U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI), Mendez Aguilar repeatedly lured pregnant women to remote locations, forced them to give birth, and then trafficked the newborns illegally to the United States in order to raise funds for criminal activities. During this process, the mothers were murdered, and it was found that each baby was sold for 14,000 dollars, which is approximately 20 million Korean won.

Joe Kent, Director of the National Counterterrorism Center under the DNI, stated, "This is an organized crime that goes beyond simple human trafficking and is a typical example of terrorist groups mobilizing any means to secure funding." He emphasized the significance of the investigation, saying, "The arrest of this woman will serve as an opportunity to prevent more women and children from becoming victims in the future."

This case is seen as further evidence that the United States is actively cracking down on cartels operating across borders. CBS reported that this arrest is part of a joint investigation that gained momentum after former U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order in January of this year. The order designates international criminal organizations such as drug cartels as "Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO)." The Jalisco Cartel, to which Mendez Aguilar belongs, was officially added to the FTO list in February.

U.S. authorities have announced that they will continue to conduct a more thorough investigation into the international crime network of this organization.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.