U.S. COUNTERTERROR INTEL HELPS MEXICO NAB SINALOA BOSS ‘EL PATO’ AFTER FTO DESIGNATION

DNI Tulsi Gabbard said the National Counterterrorism Center provided actionable intelligence that helped Mexican authorities capture Sinaloa Cartel plaza boss Leonardo Daniel “El Pato” Martinez Vera in Juarez on Oct. 15, 2025. ODNI says the arrest followed a nine-month interagency effort with NCTC, FBI, JTF-North, State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Texas DPS aircraft, and CBP Air and Marine, providing timely location data for raids that led to El Pato’s capture and three money-laundering arrests. The announcement underscores escalating U.S. use of counterterrorism resources against FTO-designated cartels and deepening cross-border cooperation with Mexican forces (SEDENA).