Israeli spyware firm distances itself from Mexico suspect

The Israeli spyware firm NSO Group has distanced itself from a Mexican businessman who was arrested on charges he used the Pegasus spyware to spy on a journalist.

Federal prosecutors announced the arrest on Monday, but did not name the suspect under rules aimed at protecting the presumption of innocence. A federal official not authorised to be quoted by name has said the suspect is Juan Carlos García Rivera, who has been linked to the company Proyectos y Diseños VME and Grupo KBH. He was detained on November 1.

In a statement from the NSO Group’s press office on Tuesday, the company said, ‘The person reported arrested is not, and never was, an employee of NSO Group, or any of its affiliates.’ In fact, the suspect has long been described in Mexico as an employee of a firm that acted as an intermediary in the spyware purchases.

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