Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has admitted that her old phone and email were hacked, as reported by Reuters on Monday.
In a press conference at the National Palace in Mexico City, Sheinbaum claimed she didn’t know who told the hacker about her phone and email.
The New York Times, in its report on Sunday, stated that the president’s phone was hacked after Sheinbaum’s government took a bold step by extraditing 29 drug dealers to the United States on February 27.
Sheinbaum stated that Apple has communicated with Mexico’s digital transformation department, which is aware of the hacking, and measures have been taken to restore the hacked phone and email.
The president revealed that the phone was a gift from a former senator and Campeche Governor, Layda Sansores. Sheinbaum also said her phone number was circulated during the campaign as an expression of affection.
The Mexican president added that the hacked phone and email address are no longer used for personal communication and correspondence.
Sheinbaum used the phone as the Tlalpan environmental delegate in Mexico City long before she became a presidential candidate or head of the capital government.
The phone was widely circulated by the people of Mexico City and was published in local media last year, before the general election in June 2024. She said they are investigating the hacked phone.
A New York Times article explained in detail the call between Sheinbaum and U.S. President Donald Trump, where they mediated a deal that saved Mexican goods from a 25 percent tariff for another month.
Trump reportedly praised Sheinbaum while admonishing Justin Trudeau, then the prime minister of Canada, for publicly opposing Trump’s tariff threats against his neighbor.
Sheinbaum affirmed that she doesn’t know who leaked the phone call with President Trump. She said the hacker was untraceable, which led to the press conference at the National Palace. (NYT)