CIA personnel killed in Mexico crash tied to cartel operation, questions mount over US role

By Fox News · Fox News

Mexico’s president is demanding answers after a crash killed two U.S. officials tied to a cartel-related operation — an incident exposing conflicting accounts over American involvement inside the country. Fox News can independently confirm via a U.S. official that the two deceased individuals worked for the Central Intelligence Agency. The CIA declined to comment. The crash in the northern state of Chihuahua killed two U.S. Embassy personnel and two Mexican officials as they were returning from an operation targeting a clandestine drug lab, according to authorities. President Claudia Sheinbaum said her administration was not informed of any U.S. presence and has ordered an investigation into whether Mexican sovereignty or national security laws were violated. MEXICO BROKE INTERNATIONAL LAW WITH THE CARTELS AND AMERICANS SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES "We were not aware of any direct work or coordination between the state of Chihuahua and personnel from the U.S. Embassy in Mexico," Sheinbaum said in a Tuesday press conference, adding that her government is seeking information from both local authorities and the United States. She stressed that Mexico does not permit joint operations with foreign governments, saying cooperation is limited to intelligence-sharing "within a clearly defined framework … in keeping with our sovereignty." But officials in Chihuahua, Mexico, offered a different account, describing the U.S. personnel as part of routine cooperation with local authorities. "Two instructor officers from the U.S. Embassy died while carrying out training duties as part of the exchange we generally and routinely have with U.S. authorities," state prosecutor César Jáuregui Moreno said in a Tuesday press conference. He added the Americans had "always supported us with advisory support and training, as part of our regular exchange." Experts say those roles often extend beyond the classroom. "The CIA has been supporting counter-narcotics efforts for some time and works close…