(Bloomberg) — The death of US officials following an operation to dismantle a drug lab in northern Mexico threatens to escalate tensions with Washington, as President Claudia Sheinbaum insists her government was unaware of their involvement.
At a news conference, Sheinbaum said Mexican security officials involved in the operation were never told about the presence of foreigners, which she described as a clear breach of security protocols. A person familiar with the matter confirmed that the two US nationals worked for the Central Intelligence Agency.
“The Defense Ministry was unaware that there were individuals involved who were not Mexican citizens and who were not affiliated with state security agencies,” Sheinbaum said on Wednesday, adding that her foreign minister sent a letter to the US ambassador to Mexico seeking more information and reiterating existing security protocol. “This is something that should not be taken lightly.”
The president emphasized that communications with the US government, especially on matters related to security, must go through Mexico’s federal government.
The political fallout from the anti-narcotics effort marks the latest security flashpoint between Sheinbaum and the US government, which under President Donald Trump has applied intense pressure on Mexico to show results on combating drug trafficking.
The two Americans working for the CIA died last weekend along with a pair of Mexican officials after their car careened off a mountain road in northern Chihuahua state, just south of Texas. The suspected drug lab was located in the Mexican border state, according to state officials. They added that the Mexican and US officials were moving in a caravan of vehicles after the successful dismantling of one the largest drug labs ever discovered in the state.
Their deaths highlight the often controversial role of US agents in the fight against drug cartels waged by both countries. The back-and-forth over the US role in the drug bust raises questions over boundaries agreed to by both governments, as well as Sheinbaum’s contention that Mexican officials were unaware of the presence of the US agents.
Under the Trump administration, the CIA has played a larger role in combating drug traffickers, including groups the Trump administration has designated as terrorist organizations. Among them is the powerful Sinaloa cartel, which operated the lab in Chihuahua, according to local security officials.
Sheinbaum emphasized that the rules governing US involvement in security matters in Mexico are clear and that Mexican federal and state security officials know them well.
The Mexican leader explained that her government generally doesn’t allow US officials to take part in law enforcement actions within Mexico. “We have other forms of cooperation and coordination and even when special teams from an inspection unit are deployed, it’s always at the government’s request,” she said.
The need for proper cooperation “must be made very clear to both the United States and state governments,” Sheinbaum said.
In her second year in office, Sheinbaum has supported more US involvement in Mexican security matters, but mostly limited to increased intelligence-sharing as well as sending Mexican cartel leaders to the US for prosecution.
Since last year, Mexico’s Senate has approved at least eight entry permits for US security personnel with the stated purpose of training local forces and providing information. But since an oversight committee hasn’t yet been installed, no reports detailing their work have been made available to lawmakers.
“We don’t know exactly who’s come, what they’ve done or what have they been training for,” said Sen. Luis Donaldo Colosio, a prominent member of the opposition. “We’re in the dark here.”
The Senate is considering summoning Chihuahua Governor María Eugenia Campos to testify before the body, according to the chamber, though a date has not yet been set. The Chihuahua government is one of the few Mexican states led by the opposition to Sheinbaum’s leftist Morena party.
–With assistance from Myles Miller.
(Recasts with new information throughout.)
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