'La Diabla' Arrested: Baby and Organ Trafficking Ring Busted from Mexico to Texas

Martha Alicia Mendez Aguilar, the cartel operative known as 'La Diabla', has been arrested in Mexico for allegedly orchestrating a gruesome baby trafficking and organ harvesting ring. Aguilar's nickname, meaning 'She-Devil', reflects the brutality of her crimes.

Inside La Diabla's alleged operation

According to U.S. and Mexican officials, Aguilar was affiliated with the notorious Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). Investigators claim she preyed on impoverished, vulnerable pregnant women, offering false promises of medical care or incentives to attract them to remote, clandestine settings.

Once there, she allegedly orchestrated unregulated C-section operations, some of which resulted in the death of the mothers. Their organs were then removed postmortem, and the newborns were sold to buyers in the United States. The going price for these infants is reported to have reached 250,000 pesos, equivalent to roughly US$14,000 per child.

Aguilar's arrest

U.S. officials characterize the scheme as a troubling example of how some cartels are branching beyond narcotics trafficking into human trafficking and organ smuggling, not just war and drug-related violence. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) says that its National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) provided the critical intelligence that pinpointed Aguilar's movements and enabled collaboration with Mexican authorities.

NCTC Director Joe Kent described the arrest as "one example of what terrorist cartels will do to diversify their revenue streams and finance operations."

The operation involved multiple U.S. agencies: the FBI's El Paso office, U.S. Marshals Service, Diplomatic Security Service, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection reportedly supported the mission, while Mexican law enforcement, including the Fiscalía Especializada en la Mujer (Special Prosecutor's Office for Women), led the execution. Until this point, Aguilar remains in Mexican custody under investigation, while U.S. authorities await further developments and evidence sharing.

This high-profile arrest underscores the Trump administration's strategy of applying counterterrorism mechanisms to combat cartel violence. In January 2025, President Trump signed an executive order instructing the State Department to designate transnational criminal organizations and cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs). Aguilar was part of CJNG, which was identified in the State Department's announcement that designated eight gangs in February.

The NCTC says it has added more than 21,000 cartel members and associates to its classified terrorist database. Since 2025, officials claim, 6,525 individuals linked to terror groups have been denied entry into the US. While the arrest is being billed as a blow to one of the darkest criminal schemes uncovered to date, many questions remain as authorities continue to release details about "La Diabla"'s operation.