In brief
César Jáuregui Moreno, former lawyer‑general of Chihuahua, faces treason charges for letting CIA operatives join a drug‑lab raid without federal permission. The agents were killed in a crash that also took two Mexican officers. President Claudia Sheinbaum has pushed for tighter counter‑narcotics action yet insists foreign involvement needs official approval. Jáuregui denies the allegations as a court hearing approaches. The case underscores rising friction over Mexico‑US cooperation on drug enforcement.
Federal prosecutors in Mexico have charged former attorney‑general César Jáuregui Moreno with treason for allegedly allowing U.S. agents to join a raid on a suspected meth‑amphetamine laboratory in Chihuahua without proper authorization.
The U.S. agents, reportedly CIA operatives, were killed in a car crash on April 19, when the convoy returning from the operation veered off the mountain road and plunged into a ravine, also killing two Mexican officers.
Attorney General Ernestina Godoy Ramos claims Jáuregui failed to share information and permitted foreign agents to conduct activities reserved for Mexican authorities. Jáuregui has denied the allegations as a court hearing is set for Saturday.
President Claudia Sheinbaum has faced pressure from the U.S. to intensify anti‑drug measures but has refused to allow U.S. officials to operate on Mexican soil without prior clearance, emphasizing sovereignty concerns. The case illustrates mounting tensions over the scope of U.S. cooperation in Mexico’s drug‑trafficking battles.
