Mexican businessman arrested for using Pegasus spyware

Mexican businessman arrested for using Pegasus spyware

Mexican law enforcement officials have arrested the businessman on charges of using Pegasus spyware by the Israeli company NSO Group. The Mexican federal prosecutor’s office did not name the suspect, due to the presumption of innocence. This was reported by The Times of Israel.

However, a federal official not authorized to release such information said Juan Carlos García Rivera was the suspect. Carlos is associated with Proyectos y Disenos VME and Grupo KBH.

Juan Carlos García Rivera used Pegasus spyware to spy on an unnamed journalist, authorities said.

García Rivera is a technician at a private company that brokered the NSO Group in Mexico and benefited from illegal spying on public figures,” said Leopoldo Maldonado of Article 19, a UK-based human rights organization.

The suspect has ties to companies accused of tracking activists, journalists and others. This is the first arrest in Mexico involving the use of the NSO Group’s hacking tool.