2 CIA officers killed in crash after counterdrug operation in Mexico: Report |
2 CIA officers killed in crash after counterdrug operation in Mexico: Report
A vehicle crash killed two Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officials en route from destroying a drug lab in northern Chihuahua, Mexico, on Sunday, sources told The Associated Press.
Three people who spoke to the AP on Tuesday on the condition of anonymity confirmed the CIA’s involvement. The crash also killed two Mexican investigators.
The Hill reached out to the CIA for comment.
The Washington Post first reported on the crash and fatalities, citing Mexican officials who said the car skidded off the road and exploded after it plunged down a ravine.
Chihuahuan Attorney General César Jáuregui Moreno identified the Mexican officers as State Investigation Agency Director Pedro Román Oseguera Cervantes and Officer Manuel Genaro Méndez Montes, also of the agency, NBC News reported.
Jáuregui also told Mexico’s El Universal newspaper that the Americans were not directly involved in the raid on the lab, though he called the raid “perhaps one of the largest ever located,” according to the news outlet.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Monday she will investigate if the operation into the Chihuahuan drug lab ran afoul of the country’s national security laws.
During her morning press conference, Sheinbaum said her security cabinet was not informed as required about the collaboration between the Chihuahuan state government and the U.S. She added that information sharing between both countries happens within a “well-established” legal framework.
U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ronald Johnson called the deaths a “tragic loss.”
“This tragedy is a solemn reminder of the risks faced by those Mexican and U.S. officials who are dedicated to protecting our communities,” he wrote on the social platform X. “It strengthens our resolve to continue their mission and advance our shared commitment to security and justice, to protect our people.”
The incident comes amid escalating pressure on Mexico from President Trump to crack down on drug cartels. Trump has called for taking actions against the cartels, while Sheinbaum has called that “unnecessary” as she insists on defending Mexico’s sovereignty from U.S. involvement.
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