Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has ordered an investigation into the role played by two US officials in a counter-narcotics operation in the northern state of Chihuahua.
The two died alongside two Mexican officials when their car crashed on their way back from an operation to destroy illegal drug labs, Chihuahua officials said.
Sheinbaum stated that neither she nor senior members of the federal security team were informed about any joint US-Mexican operations.
The Mexican leader emphasized that foreign officials can only operate on Mexican soil if given prior clearance at the federal level.
Sheinbaum has faced pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump to increase efforts to combat drug trafficking from Mexico to the United States, while also asserting that Mexico's sovereignty must be respected.
On Monday, Sheinbaum stated, we did not have knowledge of any direct work between Chihuahua state and personnel from the US embassy. She also remarked that the government needs to understand the circumstances affecting the incident and assess the legal implications.
According to a Chihuahua state official, the US nationals and two members of the Chihuahua State Investigation Agency (AEI) perished when their vehicle skidded off the road and fell into a ravine, where it exploded.
US Ambassador in Mexico, Ronald Johnson, confirmed that the deceased Americans were US embassy personnel. Chihuahua State Attorney-General César Jáuregui noted that they were instructor officers involved in training related to narcotics enforcement.
The fatal accident occurred as they drove back from a mission that targeted clandestine labs producing synthetic drugs.
Officials from Sheinbaum's office have requested information from both the US embassy and Chihuahua state authorities to determine if the operation violated national security laws prohibiting joint operations without federal approval.
She reinforced that while cooperation with the US includes intelligence sharing, there are no joint operations conducted on Mexican territory.
