Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has ordered an investigation into the activities of two US officials who died alongside two Mexican counterparts in a car crash following a counter-narcotics operation in Chihuahua state.
Sheinbaum revealed that neither she nor senior federal security officials were informed about any joint US-Mexican operations, emphasizing that foreign officials require federal-level clearance to operate on Mexican soil. The incident has highlighted tensions over sovereignty in the ongoing battle against drug trafficking.
"We did not have knowledge of any direct work between Chihuahua state and personnel from the US embassy," Sheinbaum stated on Monday, adding that the government needed "to understand the circumstances under which this was taking place, and then assess the legal implications."
According to Chihuahua state officials, the four individuals died Sunday morning when their vehicle skidded off the road, plunged into a ravine, and exploded. The officials were returning from an operation that destroyed several clandestine labs producing synthetic drugs.
US Ambassador Ronald Johnson identified the deceased Americans as "US embassy personnel," while Chihuahua State Attorney-General César Jáuregui described them as "instructor officers" engaged in "training work as part of the general and normal exchange we have with the US authorities."
However, Jáuregui's account shifted on Monday when questioned further, claiming the training occurred "some eight or nine hours [drive] from the place where the operation against the drugs lab took place."
Sheinbaum's administration has requested information from both the US embassy and Chihuahua state authorities to determine whether the operation violated Mexican national security laws, which prohibit joint operations without federal approval. The president stressed that while intelligence sharing occurs between the two nations, "there are no joint operations on land or in the air."
The incident occurs amid ongoing pressure from US President Donald Trump for Mexico to intensify efforts against drug cartels, with Sheinbaum consistently maintaining that Mexico's sovereignty must be respected in all security cooperation.