Investigation Ordered by Mexican President
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has initiated an investigation into the involvement of two US officials in a counter-narcotics operation in Chihuahua, a northern state of Mexico.
The two US officials died along with two Mexican officials when their vehicle crashed while returning from an operation aimed at dismantling illegal drug laboratories, according to authorities in Chihuahua.
President Sheinbaum stated that neither she nor senior members of the federal security team were informed about any joint operations between the US and Mexico.
She emphasized that foreign officials are permitted to operate on Mexican territory only if prior authorization is granted at the federal level.
Sheinbaum has faced pressure from US President Donald Trump to intensify efforts to reduce drug trafficking from Mexico to the United States, but she has maintained that Mexico's sovereignty must be respected.
Official Statements and Details of the Incident
On Monday, Sheinbaum declared,
"we did not have knowledge of any direct work between Chihuahua state and personnel from the US embassy".
She added that the government needed to understand the circumstances surrounding the incident and evaluate the legal implications.
A Chihuahua state official reported that the two US nationals and two members of the Chihuahua State Investigation Agency (AEI) died on Sunday morning when their vehicle skidded off the road and plunged into a ravine, resulting in an explosion.
US Ambassador to Mexico, Ronald Johnson, identified the two Americans as "US embassy personnel."
Chihuahua State Attorney-General César Jáuregui stated during a news conference on Sunday that the two were "instructor officers" from the US embassy engaged in "training work as part of the general and normal exchange we have with the US authorities." He noted that the accident occurred as they were returning from an operation that destroyed several clandestine laboratories producing synthetic drugs.
When questioned again on Monday about the US officials' role, Jáuregui explained they had been involved in "basic training work, some eight or nine hours [drive] from the place where the operation against the drugs lab took place."
Government Response and Legal Considerations
President Sheinbaum indicated that her administration had requested information from both the US embassy and Chihuahua state authorities to determine whether the operation violated Mexican national security laws, which prohibit joint operations without prior federal approval.
She stressed that although her government cooperates with the US through intelligence sharing,
"there are no joint operations on land or in the air."
Reports on the US Officials' Affiliation and CIA Involvement
On Tuesday, the Washington Post reported that the two US officials who died were CIA operatives involved in an expanded role combating narcotics trafficking across the Western Hemisphere.
The BBC has reached out to the CIA for comment regarding these reports.
In September of the previous year, a investigation revealed that the CIA had been conducting covert operations in Mexico for several years to track the country's most-wanted drug traffickers. The investigation also found that the agency worked closely with specialized narcotics-hunting units within the Mexican military.
With approval from the Mexican government, the CIA has provided select Mexican units with training, equipment, and financial support for operations, including travel expenses, according to .
At least two CIA-vetted military units are currently active, including the Mexican Army unit responsible for capturing Ovidio Guzmán-López and a specialized Mexican Navy intelligence unit, the news agency reported citing officials.
