The first photograph of López Núñez came out that month, when a Mexican journalist published a screengrab from the then-unpublished video. Then, on April 24, just eight days before the arrest, another reporter published the leaked video. According to the reporter who obtained the footage, it was recorded by "a hacker" who's now living in the United States, under government protection."The Mexican government offered him protection and a reward," an agent who works closely with the Mexican government forces that organize high-profile arrests and investigations told Motherboard. "A very good one," added the agent, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter.But now the hacker feels the Mexican government isn't doing enough to help him."That's how the [Mexican] federal government works," he said. "They use people and then they let them die, or they kill them, or they disappear."Motherboard reviewed the whole, unedited version of the video, which was recorded in July of 2016, and includes several clear shots of the face of the man who was holding the phone. Motherboard conducted multiple video calls with the hacker and was able to visually confirm he was the same person who appeared in the video. We also verified that he is indeed still in Mexico.Reached by phone on Wednesday, a representative in the Mexican Office of the Attorney General (PGR) said he wasn't authorized to answers questions or release a statement on the record, and asked Motherboard to send questions electronically. The PGR did not immediately respond to a series of detailed questions sent over email."They didn't catch him. I caught him. I cornered him, exposed him and I recorded his face."
The Chapitos were then feuding with López Núñez in a Game of Thrones-style power struggle for the control of the cartel. But, unbeknownst to the cartel boss, the hacker says he was working with the Mexican government on a secret mission to help capture López Núñez, who was quickly becoming a prominent figure in Mexico's criminal underworld after Guzmán's re-arrest and extradition to the US."The Mexican government offered him protection and a reward. A very good one."
The hacker didn't just record video of the lunch meeting though. After walking out with López Núñez, the hacker took note of their exact location, in an attempt to help authorities find security camera footage. In a video file the hacker shared with Motherboard, he can be heard explaining to the authorities where López Núñez's car was parked. According to the Mexican government source who spoke with Motherboard, in addition to providing the video, the hacker also helped find López Núñez's vehicle.A week later, on July 21, the hacker says he sent the video to the authorities over the encrypted file-sharing service Mega.Nine months later, after the video leaked, those shots of the boss' face splashed across Mexican media. López Núñez again ended up in the news a few days later, this time looking a tad more worn-down, with a scruff, and in handcuffs.Read more: How Immigrants Are Using Burner Phones to Evade US-Mexico Border Patrol
Criminal Investigation Agency agents and soldiers of the Mexican army escort senior lieutenant of US jailed drug lord, Joaquin "Chapo" Guzman, Dámaso López Núñez, after arresting him in Mexico City on May 2, 2017. López Núñez was allegedly engaged in a bloody struggle to lead the Sinaloa crime syndicate. Photo: STR/AFP/Getty Images

