Mexico Charges Ex-Prosecutor with Treason Over Alleged US Agent Involvement in Drug Raid
César Jáuregui Moreno accused of allowing unauthorized foreign participation and withholding information following a deadly car crash involving US agents.
Federal prosecutors in Mexico have charged César Jáuregui Moreno, the former attorney general of Chihuahua, with treason for allegedly permitting U.S. agents to participate in a drug raid without proper authorization. Jáuregui Moreno served as the state's top prosecutor from 2023 until earlier this year.
The charges stem from an operation in April where U.S. agents reportedly joined a raid on a suspected drug lab. The situation came to light after two American individuals, described as working for the CIA, died in a car crash in Chihuahua along with two Mexican law enforcement officers. The crash occurred when a convoy returning from an operation targeting suspected methamphetamine labs in a remote mountainous area veered off the road.
Attorney General Ernestina Godoy Ramos stated that Jáuregui Moreno allowed foreign agents to conduct activities reserved for Mexican authorities and failed to share necessary information. Jáuregui Moreno has denied the allegations and faces state-level charges in Chihuahua, including abuse of public office. During a court hearing for those charges on Sunday, he maintained he did not instruct or consent to the involvement of U.S. agents.
Jáuregui Moreno, a member of the conservative opposition PAN party, was arrested over the weekend, and a court hearing is scheduled for Saturday to determine if there is sufficient evidence to proceed with the treason case.
Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum has been under pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump to intensify efforts against drug trafficking. However, Sheinbaum has consistently rejected offers for U.S.-led counter-narcotics operations and has emphasized that foreign officials require prior federal government clearance to operate on Mexican soil, asserting the nation's sovereignty.
At the time of the April 19 crash, Jáuregui Moreno described the Americans involved as "instructor officers" from the U.S. embassy engaged in "training work as part of the general and normal exchange we have with the U.S. authorities." U.S. media reports identified the deceased individuals as CIA operatives involved in efforts to combat drug trafficking in the region.