Two CIA Officers Killed in Mexico During Anti-Drug Operation

Two employees of the U.S. Embassy in Mexico, identified as CIA officers, were killed in a vehicle crash in the northern state of Chihuahua on Sunday. The crash occurred as U.S. and Mexican officials were returning from an anti-drug operation, when their car skidded off a mountainous road and caught fire.

The U.S. Embassy confirmed the deaths. The Los Angeles Times reported this week that four CIA officers were involved in the operation, conducting raids alongside Mexican forces against drug cartel production facilities.

Chihuahua Attorney General Cesar Jauregui initially stated that the CIA officers were assisting Mexican personnel in destroying drug labs. He later revised the statement, saying the Americans were in the area for a separate training mission with Mexican colleagues.

She sent a letter to Ronald Johnson, the U.S. ambassador to Mexico, seeking an explanation. Sheinbaum also attributed responsibility to Chihuahua's state government, which is led by political opposition, for not informing federal authorities.

Broader U.S.

Counterdrug Efforts

Since last September, the U.S. military has destroyed 53 boats in the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific Ocean suspected of carrying drugs to the U.S., resulting in an estimated 181 deaths. The Trump administration has prioritized counterdrug efforts.

In Ecuador, U.S. forces have assisted the Ecuadorian army in combating Los Lobos and Los Choneros gangs, which partner with Colombian and Mexican cartels to transport cocaine. The U.S. has designated both groups as foreign terrorist organizations. Ecuadorian President Daniel Nobia reported a decrease in the country's homicide rate.

However, one operation targeted a site alleged to be a criminal camp, which was later identified as a dairy farm unrelated to drug trade.