Mexico's military was unaware of CIA agents who died in crash, president says

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Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum told reporters connected Wednesday that the Mexican subject was unaware of the beingness of U.S. agents who died successful a car accident during an antidrug cognition successful the borderline authorities of Chihuahua.

"Evidently, the subject didn't cognize determination were radical participating who weren't Mexican citizens ... that determination were foreigners participating successful the operation," Sheinbaum told reporters. "This is thing that Mexicans shouldn't instrumentality lightly."

The 2 Americans killed successful the clang were employees of the Central Intelligence Agency, aggregate radical acquainted with the substance told CBS News. The CIA declined to comment. 

Sheinbaum said the national authorities is still investigating a imaginable usurpation of nationalist information laws successful the still-murky incident.

Mexican authorities said the Americans died alongside 2 Mexican officers and had taken portion successful a raid connected a clandestine cause laboratory successful the bluish state's distant sierra.

meth-lab-img-20260418-wa0022.jpg Methamphetamine labs were recovered successful the mountains betwixt Morelos and Guachochi, Mexican officials said. Chihuahua State Investigation Agency

In a news release, the authorities lawyer general's bureau identified the 2 Mexican casualties arsenic archetypal commandant of the authorities probe bureau Pedro Román Oseguera Cervantes and serviceman Manuel Genaro Méndez Montes.

The five-car convoy included soldiers and members of the Chihuahua State Investigation Agency, authorities said.

The U.S. agents killed were "instructor officers" who "were carrying retired grooming tasks" arsenic portion of binational anti-drug cooperation, authorities authoritative Cesar Jauregui told reporters. Jauregui called the targeted labs "one of the largest sites recovered successful the state wherever chemic drugs were produced."

U.S. Ambassador Ronald Johnson expressed his condolences connected societal media but helium and different officials provided fewer details of the incident.

"We grant their dedication and tireless efforts to face 1 of the top challenges of our time," Johnson said. "This calamity is simply a solemn reminder of the risks faced by those Mexican and U.S. officials who are dedicated to protecting our communities.

On-the-ground practice betwixt U.S. instrumentality enforcement and Mexican information forces is historically uncommon and a politically delicate taxable successful the country. Sheinbaum has publically rejected the practice.

Home to the cardinal borderline metropolis of Juarez, Chihuahua is 1 of lone 4 retired of 31 states governed by the blimpish National Political Action enactment (PAN), which opposes Sheinbaum's left-leaning Morena party.

The person said she planned to conscionable with the Chihuahua authorities politician to sermon the incident.

Sheinbaum has resisted the Trump administration's threats to usage airstrikes oregon crushed troops to combat Mexican cartels, alternatively promoting quality sharing with the U.S. portion section information forces onslaught transgression groups.

Elite Mexican troops operating with U.S. quality killed cause kingpin Nemesio "El Mencho" Oseguera successful February, unleashing a wave of violence that near implicit 70 dead.

Mexico has announced the dismantling of galore cause labs successful caller months aft Mr. Trump threatened imaginable subject enactment to curb cause trafficking. 

In February, Mexican naval unit discovered a hidden cause laboratory successful the country's Durango portion and "neutralized" over 5,000 pounds of methamphetamine. In January, authorities announced more than 1,500 pounds of meth were seized from clandestine laboratories successful the states of Durango, Sinaloa and Michoacán.

Olivia Gazis contributed to this report.

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CIA employees dice successful Mexico car clang

Mexico demands answers aft CIA employees dice successful car clang pursuing cause laboratory raid 03:52

Mexico demands answers aft CIA employees dice successful car clang pursuing cause laboratory raid

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