In brief
In April, a joint raid on a suspected methamphetamine lab in Chihuahua’s mountains turned tragic when two CIA agents and two Mexican officers crashed and died. Mexican federal prosecutors have accused former state prosecutor Cesar Jauregui of treason for allowing the agents to intervene without proper clearance. Jauregui denies the allegations and faces additional state charges of abuse of office. The case underscores Mexico’s insistence on sovereignty and has led to renewed scrutiny of foreign involvement in domestic anti‑drug operations.
Federal prosecutors in Mexico have charged a former state prosecutor with treason for allowing US agents to join a raid on a suspected drugs lab in April without proper authorisation.
Cesar Jáuregui Moreno served as attorney general of the northern border state of Chihuahua from 2023 to this year. The involvement of Americans came to light after two US agents reportedly tied to the CIA died in a car crash in Chihuahua along with two Mexican law‑enforcement officers.
Attorney General Ernestina Godoy Ramos said Jáuregui had permitted foreign agents to conduct activities reserved for Mexican authorities and had failed to share key information. Jáuregui has denied the allegations.
The former prosecutor, a member of the conservative opposition PAN party, was arrested at the weekend and is slated for a court hearing on Saturday. A judge must still determine whether there is enough evidence to pursue the treason case, Reuters reports.
Jáuregui also faces state‑level charges in Chihuahua, including abuse of public office. In a separate hearing on Sunday, he denied that he authorised the involvement of US agents in the operation.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, under pressure from US President Donald Trump to tackle drug trafficking, has consistently rejected US‐led counter‑narcotics operations unless prior clearance is granted. She insists Mexican sovereignty must not be breached by foreign officials operating on national soil.
The crash occurred on 19 April, when a convoy returning from a remote meth‑lab raid veered off the road and plunged into a ravine. Two members of the Chihuahua State Investigation Agency and the two US agents died in the accident.
At the time, Jáuregui told a press conference that the Americans were “instructor officers” from the US embassy engaged in “training work as part of the normal exchange we have with US authorities.” U.S. media reported that the two individuals worked for the CIA as part of an expanded effort to combat narcotics trafficking in the region.
