The Mexican government says two US agents who died last weekend in a car crash had not been authorised to operate in the country.
The officials, who reportedly worked for the CIA, had taken part in a raid on suspected drug labs in the northern state of Chihuahua before their vehicle skidded off a mountain road and exploded.
Following an investigation ordered by President Claudia Sheinbaum, Mexico's security ministry stated that neither had formal accreditation to participate in operational activities and that federal authorities had not been informed of their presence.
The incident comes amid at-times fraught relations between Mexico and the US, particularly regarding counter-narcotics efforts.
Sheinbaum has faced pressure from US President Donald Trump to tackle drug trafficking but has declined offers for US-led operations in Mexico.
She has made it clear that foreign officials can only act on Mexican soil with prior clearance from the federal government, insisting on respecting the nation’s sovereignty.
Record checks by Mexico's security ministry indicated that one agent entered the country as a visitor, while the other carried a diplomatic passport.
The ministry reiterated that formal accreditation is required by Mexican law for foreign agents to be involved in operations without federal approval.
Reports indicated that the two agents had participated in expanded efforts to combat narcotics trafficking, a priority for the Trump administration.
On April 19, their convoy, returning from a mission targeting methamphetamine labs, diverted off the road and fell into a ravine, leading to the deaths of all US agents onboard, alongside two members of the local investigation agency.
Chihuahua’s Attorney General, César Jáuregui, mentioned in a press conference that the US agents were instructor officers involved in training work related to cooperative exchanges with US authorities. However, Sheinbaum clarified that, despite ongoing intelligence sharing, there were no joint operations on land or in the air.\
A September investigation highlighted that the CIA had been conducting covert operations in Mexico for years, tracking down prominent drug traffickers.
Reports suggest that the CIA, with the Mexican government’s consent, has assisted select units with training, equipment, and financial support for their operations.
Despite cooperating with the US government on security, Sheinbaum has resisted aggressive US proposals, particularly those threatening ground operations in Mexico.
In light of Trump's criticisms regarding undocumented migration, her government has aggressively targeted drug trafficking to mitigate tensions between the neighboring countries.
