Undercover Backstopping Project
This grant supports improving Mexican law enforcement's undercover capabilities and legal protections to better combat drug cartels and protect U.S. national security.
Funder: Bureau of International Narcotics-Law Enforcement
Due Dates: June 15, 2026
Funding Amounts: $1,000,000–$1,500,000 per award | Up to 2 awards | 24-month project period
Summary: Supports projects to enhance the ability of Mexican agencies to conduct secure undercover operations against transnational criminal organizations, with a focus on legal protections and identity management systems for undercover agents.
Key Information: Statement of Interest (SOI) required as first step; only eligible NGOs and educational institutions may apply.
Description
This opportunity, funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), seeks to enhance the capacity of Mexican law enforcement agencies to conduct secure, effective undercover operations targeting transnational criminal organizations and drug cartels that threaten U.S. national security. The program focuses on closing critical gaps in Mexico’s legal protections for undercover agents and developing robust identity management systems, including the creation of secure government-issued identification for undercover personnel.
The initiative involves three core components:
- Assessing and strengthening Mexican legal and policy frameworks for undercover operations.
- Designing and piloting a sustainable backstopping (identity management) system for undercover agents, including protocols for government-issued cover identities.
- Developing and implementing a basic undercover training program tailored to the Mexican legal context, with an emphasis on building local instructor capacity for replication.
The project aims to deliver a limited-scope, high-impact pilot in partnership with selected Mexican agencies, generating lessons for future national expansion and fostering long-term U.S.–Mexico law enforcement collaboration.
