Mexico has launched an investigation into a possible breach of its constitution following reports that two US embassy officials who died in a car accident after a drug lab raid were CIA operatives. The incident occurred near Chihuahua, a border state with Sinaloa, and has strained relations between Mexico and the United States.
The two officials were killed on Sunday when their vehicle skidded off a mountain road and plunged 200 metres into a ravine. They were returning from a raid on a clandestine drug laboratory alongside local officials. Since then, conflicting accounts have emerged about the extent of US involvement in the operation.
Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum stated that neither she nor her cabinet were informed about the operation. Mexican national security law prohibits joint operations without prior federal approval. “We’re investigating what these people were doing and what agency they were from,” Sheinbaum said during her daily press conference.
The incident comes as US President Donald Trump pressures Mexico to do more to combat drug trafficking, while Sheinbaum defends the country's sovereignty. Trump has threatened unilateral military strikes against cartels, but US agencies have stressed cooperation with Mexican authorities. The CIA has taken a greater role in anti-drug efforts since Trump designated Mexican cartels as foreign terrorist organisations.
Chihuahua's attorney general initially stated that the Americans died returning from a dismantling operation but later claimed they were only “instructors” who arrived after the raid for training purposes. Sheinbaum warned that if the investigation confirms a joint operation occurred, “the corresponding sanctions would have to be reviewed.”
