Mexico City, Mexico — Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has ordered an investigation into the role of two US officials who died alongside two Mexican counterparts in a car crash after participating in a counter-narcotics operation in northern Chihuahua state.
The four officials were returning from an operation to destroy clandestine drug labs when their vehicle skidded off the road, plunged into a ravine, and exploded on Sunday morning, according to Chihuahua state authorities.
Sheinbaum said neither she nor senior federal security officials had been informed about any joint US-Mexican operations in the area, raising questions about potential violations of Mexican national security law.
“We did not have knowledge of any direct work between Chihuahua state and personnel from the US embassy,” Sheinbaum said on Monday. “We need to understand the circumstances under which this was taking place, and then assess the legal implications.”
Chihuahua State Attorney-General César Jáuregui initially described the two Americans as “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 said the accident occurred as they were driving back from an operation that destroyed several clandestine synthetic drug production facilities.
However, when questioned further on Monday, Jáuregui said the US officials had been conducting “basic training work” approximately eight to nine hours’ drive from where the drug lab operation took place.
US Ambassador Ronald Johnson identified the two Americans as “US embassy personnel.” The Washington Post reported on Tuesday that the officials worked for the CIA as part of an expanded role in combating narcotics trafficking in the Western Hemisphere.
Sheinbaum emphasized that while her government cooperates with US authorities through intelligence sharing, “there are no joint operations on land or in the air” without prior federal approval. She said officials have requested information from both the US embassy and Chihuahua state authorities to determine if the operation violated Mexican law.
The incident comes amid ongoing pressure from US President Donald Trump for Mexico to intensify efforts against drug trafficking, though Sheinbaum has consistently maintained that Mexico’s sovereignty cannot be compromised.
A Reuters investigation last September revealed that the CIA has conducted covert operations in Mexico for years to track down high-profile drug traffickers, working closely with specialized units within the Mexican military. With Mexican government approval, the agency has provided select units with training, equipment, and financial support for operations, according to the report.
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