Claudia Sheinbaum Says U.S. Now Sharing Information About Death of Two CIA Agents in Chihuahua

Nearly two weeks after reports in Mexican media of the deaths of two CIA agents during an operation in Mexico, President Claudia Sheinbaum said the United States is now sharing information and cooperating with Mexican authorities to clarify the events that occurred between April 16 and 19 in Chihuahua, where two CIA agents and two Mexican officials died in a vehicle crash.

Speaking to reporters on April 28, Sheinbaum confirmed the United States had responded to Mexico's diplomatic note requesting information about the presence of two foreign agents in Chihuahua.

"Yes, they are providing information, and in their response they clearly tell us they want to respect Mexican law and the Constitution," she said.

According to an initial account by César Jáuregui Moreno, Chihuahua's attorney general who resigned April 27, the four individuals died in a car accident while returning from a meeting with Mexican officials after a successful operation to dismantle a clandestine drug lab in the municipality of Morelos, in the Sierra Tarahumara region of Chihuahua.

The incident sparked political turmoil in Mexico, as the Sheinbaum administration has repeatedly said the security agreement between Mexico and the United States limits the role of foreign agents to intelligence work, not field operations.

Shortly after the news broke, Sheinbaum said she had not been informed in advance and indicated federal authorities would investigate whether national security laws were violated.

Chihuahua governor unaware of CIA presence

On April 24, Mexico's top security official Omar García Harfuch met with Chihuahua Gov. María Eugenia Campos Galván, who told him she had no knowledge of an operation involving CIA agents to dismantle the clandestine drug lab located in the community of "El Pinal."

As state and federal authorities continue investigating the incident, Mexico's Senate has summoned Campos Galván to appear before the Committees on Constitutional Affairs and Public Security. The governor declined the invitation, arguing she wants to avoid compromising confidential or classified information tied to ongoing investigations.

According to state prosecutor Wendy Paola Chávez Villanueva, appointed by Campos to investigate the case, the CIA agents' involvement was not reported to senior command or the State Investigation Agency (AEI). She said the only person aware of their participation was director Pedro Oseguera Cervantes, who also died alongside the two U.S. agents in the vehicle crash, Infobae México reported.