SAN DIEGO — Mexican American businessman Julio Santamaria, 49, pleaded responsible Feb. 7 after admitting he conspired to promote and use personal computer-hacking instruments in Mexico and the U.S. to observe political and enterprise rivals. Homeland Safety Investigations (HSI), with assist from the Division of Justice’s Pc Crime and Mental Property Part, investigated the case.
“Immediately’s responsible plea demonstrates our on-line world is just not a refuge from American justice, and as seen on this case, those that violate privateness rights can be held accountable,” stated HSI San Diego Particular Agent in Cost Chad Plantz. “HSI and our regulation enforcement companions stay dedicated to defending the American public from people trying to illegally intercept personal communications for illicit achieve.”
“Immediately’s responsible plea helps stem the proliferation of digital instruments used for repression and advances the digital safety of each U.S. and Mexican residents,” stated U.S. Lawyer Randy Grossman. “This workplace is dedicated to disrupting malicious cyber actions and mitigating illegal surveillance.”
In line with courtroom paperwork, starting in or about January 2016, Santamaria started working for a consortium of U.S. and Mexican firms, together with an organization known as Elite By Carga, for which he brokered the sale of interception and surveillance instruments to non-public residents and Mexican politicians. Previous to working for this consortium, Santamaria labored for Mexico’s Procuraduría Normal de la República.
Santamaria admitted to realizing that, in some circumstances, the consortium’s Mexican authorities purchasers supposed to make use of the interception gear for political functions reasonably than reputable regulation enforcement functions. In a single case, the consortium knowingly organized for a Mexican mayor to realize unauthorized entry to a political rival’s Twitter, Hotmail and iCloud accounts.
HSI is the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Division of Homeland Safety (DHS), chargeable for investigating transnational crime and threats, particularly these legal organizations that exploit the worldwide infrastructure via which worldwide commerce, journey, and finance transfer. HSI’s workforce of greater than 8,700 staff consists of greater than 6,000 particular brokers assigned to 237 cities all through the USA, and 93 abroad places in 56 nations. HSI’s worldwide presence represents DHS’s largest investigative regulation enforcement presence overseas and one of many largest worldwide footprints in U.S. regulation enforcement.
