Mexican Governor Alleges Political Persecution After CIA Deaths in Unauthorized Drug Raid
The governor of Mexico’s northern state of Chihuahua said Wednesday she is facing a politically motivated probe by the country’s ruling party, following the deaths of two U.S. intelligence officers in an unauthorized anti-drug operation earlier this year.
María Eugenia Campos, a member of the opposition National Action Party (PAN), appeared before federal prosecutors in Mexico City to answer questions about the April 19 incident. Speaking outside the attorney general’s office, she accused the government of wielding “the full weight of the state apparatus” against her while top officials from the ruling Morena party enjoy “absolute impunity.”
Two Central Intelligence Agency officers were killed in a car crash that same day, after they accompanied Mexican soldiers and state prosecutors on a raid targeting a clandestine drug lab near the city of Chihuahua. Two Mexican investigators also died in the crash: Pedro Román Oseguera Cervantes and Manuel Genaro Méndez Montes, both from the state investigation agency.
The deaths quickly escalated into a diplomatic friction point. President Claudia Sheinbaum ordered an investigation, warning that the operation may have violated Mexico’s national security laws, which strictly prohibit foreign agents from conducting unauthorized law enforcement activities. She emphasized that anti-drug operations are the exclusive domain of the federal government and noted that the U.S. agents had not declared their activities under bilateral security protocols.
According to Mexico’s Security Ministry, one of the CIA officers had entered the country on a visitor visa, while the other carried a diplomatic passport. “Neither had formal accreditation to participate in operational activities on national territory,” the ministry said in a statement.
The CIA has declined to comment on the incident. U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, Ronald Johnson, offered condolences on social media, calling the agents’ deaths “a solemn reminder of the risks faced by those Mexican and U.S. officials who are dedicated to protecting our communities.”
The controversy comes amid broader strains in U.S.-Mexico security cooperation. Just days after the crash, the U.S. Justice Department requested the arrest and extradition of 10 Morena party politicians, including Sinaloa Governor Rubén Rocha Moya, on charges of protecting the Sinaloa Cartel. Campos appears to be the first opposition figure to be called in for questioning, fueling accusations that the investigation is politically selective.
Legal experts say the case highlights a long-standing tension between Mexico’s sovereignty laws and the covert operations that U.S. intelligence agencies have historically conducted in the region. While both governments have pledged to strengthen joint efforts against drug trafficking, the lack of transparency around the April raid has deepened mutual mistrust.