‘Baby trafficking ringleader’ known as ‘La Diabla’ accused of killing pregnant women, selling their babies to U.S. couples

JUAREZ, Chihuahua (KVIA) -- Martha Alicia Mendez Aguilar, also known as "La Diabla," was arrested in Juarez on September 2, 2025.  The Office of the Director of National Intelligence announced the news. A spokesperson for the office describes Mendez as a Jalisco New Generation Cartel-affiliated "baby trafficking ringleader."

A joint operation between Mexican law enforcement and the  The Office of the Director of National Intelligence’s National Counterterrorism Center resulted in Mendez's arrest. The spokesperson says that Mendez led a network that would lure pregnant women to remote locations, perform illegal cesarean procedures, harvest organs from the mothers' bodies, then sell the newborns to U.S. couples for up to 250,000 pesos, or $13,523 U.S. dollars.

The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) El Paso, the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) El Paso, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and Fiscalia Especializada en la Mujer (the Special Prosecutor’s Office for Women) all participated in capturing Mendez, officials say.

“This is one example of what terrorist cartels will do to diversify their revenue streams and finance operations,” said Joe Kent, NCTC Director. “NCTC delivered critical intelligence on ‘La Diabla’s’ location and developed comprehensive analysis that enabled U.S. and Mexican law enforcement partners to take action. I am proud of our team’s ability to work with our forward deployed U.S. partners and Mexican law enforcement to stop these horrific acts. NCTC remains committed to disrupting all aspects of terrorist cartels and their operations. And in this case, the lives of innocent women and children depended on it.”