Scene of a Mexico drug cartel member's death by explosion [X capture]

On March 28, a mysterious vehicle explosion occurred on a busy highway outside Mexico City.

The individual who died in the vehicle explosion was Francisco Beltrán, a mid-level executive of the notorious Sinaloa Cartel, a drug trafficking organization.

CNN reported on the 12th (local time), citing multiple sources, that the bombing of Beltrán, which resembled a scene from a movie, was a 'targeted assassination' operation planned by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

At the time, an explosive device was hidden inside the vehicle, and Beltrán died instantly at the scene.

Video footage from the incident posted on X (formerly Twitter) showed flames erupting instantaneously and the vehicle rolling off the road.

CNN reported that Beltrán's death was part of the CIA's ongoing operation to dismantle drug cartels within Mexican territory.

This operation was led by the CIA's elite secret organization and paramilitary special operations unit, the 'Ground Branch'.

CNN stated, "The CIA has escalated its clandestine war in Mexico," adding, "(The CIA's) attack on Beltrán was highly bold, even by the standards of the violence perpetrated by cartels."

According to sources, since last year, CIA operatives in Mexico have primarily targeted mid-level cartel members. This has expanded beyond intelligence sharing and general support with Mexican authorities to the CIA directly participating in assassination operations.

One official briefed on the operation said, "The lethality of the operations has been significantly enhanced."

Francisco Beltrán, who died in the explosion [X capture]

The expansion of the CIA's secret war aims to dismantle the cartel network. The intention is to systematically eliminate not only the top bosses but also the lower-level operatives who play a crucial role in drug trafficking.

Current and former U.S. national security officials told CNN that "(The CIA's) tactics are not significantly different from counter-terrorism missions designed to eliminate terrorist organizations in the Middle East and around the world."

Previously, U.S. President Donald Trump had designated several Mexican drug cartels as terrorist organizations.

However, CNN pointed out that the CIA's assassination operations against cartel members could be illegal under Mexican law.

According to the Mexican Constitution, foreign agents are prohibited from participating in law enforcement operations without explicit authorization from the federal government.

One source stated, "It is not at all clear whether all of their (CIA operatives') missions were coordinated with the Mexican government."

In response, Omar García Harfuch, Mexico's Secretary of Security, denied CNN's report that Beltrán died in an explosion due to a clandestine CIA operation within Mexican territory.

Harfuch posted on X, stating, "We categorically reject any assertion that attempts to generalize, justify, or imply that foreign agencies have carried out lethal, clandestine, or unilateral operations on Mexican soil."