Mexico’s government said Saturday that two people from the United States who were acting in its territory as intelligence operatives were not authorized to conduct those activities.
The two men were killed last weekend in an incident linked to a drug raid; US media have reported they were members of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Two Mexican officials also died in the April 19 incident in the northern state of Chihuahua, which involved a multi-vehicle convoy of soldiers and personnel from the Chihuahua State Investigation Agency.
Chihuahua’s state prosecutor said the group was returning from a raid on clandestine drug labs when their vehicle skidded off the road and plunged into a ravine. Authorities described the US agents as “instructor officers” who were performing training duties.
Cooperation between US law enforcement and Mexican security forces is historically uncommon and politically sensitive in Mexico. President Claudia Sheinbaum faces pressure from Washington to take a tougher stance against drug cartels.
Mexico’s Security Ministry said immigration records show one of the US citizens entered as a visitor while the other used a diplomatic passport. The ministry noted Mexican law bars foreign agents from taking part in operations on national soil and said, “Neither had formal accreditation to participate in operational activities within national territory.”
The two US citizens have not been publicly identified. The US ambassador in Mexico has said they were employees of the US embassy.
Edited by: Saim Dušan Inayatullah