This article, authored byMariane Angelais republished under the Creative Commons “CC BY-NC-ND” license with permission fromThe Daily Caller News Foundation.
Two CIA officers were reportedly killed in a serious traffic incident in northern Mexico over the weekend.
The crash, which occurred Sunday in Chihuahua state, also killed two Mexican officials and triggered a review ordered by Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum into whether the circumstances surrounding the joint cooperation complied with national security protocols,accordingto the Washington Post.
Two CIA officers killed in Mexico when their car skidded off ravine and exploded after meeting about bust of 'largest ever drug lab'https://t.co/O7ZtituyHx
The accident occurred as they were returning from activities tied to a major anti-drug enforcement effort, according to individuals familiar with the situation. Mexican authorities reported that the vehicle carrying the four occupants lost control on a roadway, left the pavement, plunged into a ravine, and caught fire; all four were pronounced dead at the scene.
Local officials said the group had earlier participated in follow-up discussions connected to dismantling a large-scale clandestine drug production site in a remote area. While Mexican prosecutors confirmed the Americans were not part of the operational raid itself, they had been involved in related coordination efforts.
The CIA did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
The attorney general of Chihuahua, César Jáuregui Moreno, described the facility as one of the most significant illicit drug labs uncovered in the region in recent years. The incident comes at a moment of heightened pressure from Washington on Mexican authorities to intensify action against organized crime groups.
Sheinbaum said that her administration was not properly informed of all aspects of the operation, adding that existing legal frameworks governing intelligence cooperation must be respected. However, Chihuahua authorities pushed back on that concern, saying Mexican personnel alone conducted the field operation, which involved dozens of agents and months of planning.
According to state officials, the American personnel had been engaged in separate training-related activity several hours away before later meeting with local investigators. That meeting took place shortly before the fatal ride home.
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