Part 3/6:
Central to this process was the involvement of a middleman described as a "lieutenant," a figure situated below the cartel's leadership hierarchy. This individual controls access to the higher-ups and manages the connections to operative cells beneath him.
According to the account, this lieutenant had extensive contacts and was perceived to have direct links to U.S. cells, making him a pivotal conduit for communication and intelligence gathering. However, the relationship with this intermediary was characterized by caution—he navigated the communication channels primarily through encrypted messaging apps, purportedly avoiding physical travel to the U.S. altogether.