General Directorate of Information and Intelligence
The General Directorate of Information and Intelligence (Spanish: Dirección General de Información e Inteligencia), also known as DGII, is a governmental intelligence agency in Mejico. Established in 1937 by José Vasconcelos, the DGII serves as the principal intelligence-gathering and analysis agency for the country. Its main mission is to collect and assess information related to national security, foreign affairs, and significant domestic developments to support decision-making at the highest levels of government. The DGII replaced the Sección Primera of the Secretariat of the Interior, founded in 1918, to identify potential threats and subversive actors.
The DGII operates within the purview of the Secretariat of the Interior and maintains close collaborations with other government agencies, such as the Secretariat of Defense and the Secretariat of Foreign Affairs, to ensure comprehensive intelligence sharing and coordination. It employs a range of intelligence-gathering methods, including human intelligence, signals intelligence, and open-source intelligence, to gather information from various sources domestically and abroad. The DIIN also collaborates with foreign intelligence agencies to gather and share information of mutual interest.
In addition to its primary function of gathering and analyzing intelligence, the DGII also plays a role in counterintelligence operations to detect and prevent threats to national security and subversion within the country. It also conducts risk and threat assessments to inform the government's decision-making process and supports operations to protect critical infrastructure and assets. The agency's intelligence assessments and reports are presented to top government officials, including the Emperor, President and key cabinet members, providing them with the necessary intelligence to make informed decisions on matters of national security, foreign policy, and domestic challenges. The DGII also plays a crucial role in supporting law enforcement operations and investigations, providing intelligence support to combat organized crime, terrorism, and other threats to public safety.
The national director of the agency is appointed by the Emperor and is responsible for overseeing the overall operations of the DGII. The current director since 2019 is Amado Griessentvack Zavala. The DGII operates within the legal framework established by the National Security Law, which outlines its functions, powers, and limitations. Its operations are subject to oversight by congressional committees and external auditing bodies to ensure accountability and respect for civil liberties and privacy rights.
The agency is structured into various divisions and units, each specializing in different areas of intelligence collection and analysis. These divisions include counterintelligence, foreign intelligence, domestic intelligence, and technical intelligence, among others. The DGII also has regional offices throughout the country to improve its reach and effectiveness in gathering and disseminating intelligence.