This series documents that coverage chronologically: what I found, what the media reported, and what consequences I faced as a journalist.

What I Found

On February 22, 2026, while the CJNG executed 252 roadblocks across 20 Mexican states, a parallel operation was unfolding on social media. Using my signal intelligence tool E31 — which processes over 54 million records — I identified three coordinated groups of accounts:

• Accounts directly linked to the CJNG amplifying chaos
• Right-wing opportunist groups exploiting the crisis against the government
• Artificial accounts mixing real images with AI-generated content

Mexico’s Secretary of Security Omar García Harfuch publicly validated my findings on two occasions: February 24 and March 13, 2026.

The International Coverage

In the weeks that followed, over a dozen national and international outlets cited my work. This series documents each of those publications with context, translation, and analysis.

Outlets that covered my findings: AFP · France 24 · OCCRP · El País · Infobae · Milenio · Tribuna Noticias · Pacozea · Brújula News · La Octava Digital · Swiss Info · La Nación

The Consequences

This coverage had a direct cost. I suffered a home break-in, death threats from the CJNG, and a physical assault in which three individuals beat me and stole my laptop. On May 3, 2026, I left Mexico. I am now writing from Spain, in exile.

This series is also a record of what can happen to a journalist who documents the digital infrastructure of organized crime in Mexico.

Context

El País — one of the most widely read Spanish-language newspapers in the world — published an investigation into the use of AI and bots during the disinformation wave following El Mencho’s death. I was cited as a “journalist and researcher specializing in disinformation” and my identification of 500 bot accounts that amplified false profiles and generated panic — including a fabricated stampede at Guadalajara airport — was featured prominently.

Key Findings Reported

El País documented how AI-generated images were mixed with real footage to create a narrative of chaos far beyond what was actually happening on the ground. My technical analysis of the bot network provided the investigative backbone for their report.

This was the first major European outlet to cover my work on the CJNG disinformation operation — a significant milestone for international visibility of the issue.

→ Read the full report at El País (English)