Mexico’s president seeks answers after 2 US Embassy officials die in crash following drug raid

By Rocío Muñoz-Ledo, Gonzalo Zegarra, CNN

Mexico City (CNN) — Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Monday she was seeking answers from the United States after two US Embassy officials and two Mexican agents were killed in a car accident in the north of the country following a drug raid.

The victims of Sunday’s accident were part of Chihuahua’s State Investigation Agency (AEI) and a training program with the US embassy, the state’s attorney general César Jáuregui Moreno said.

Among the deceased are AEI regional director Pedro Ramón Oseguera Cervantes and his bodyguard Manuel Genaro Méndez Montes, as well as two instructors from the United States Embassy in Mexico.

The accident occurred on the Chihuahua–Ciudad Juárez highway, when the officials were returning from an operation in the municipality of Morelos, where state authorities dismantled a drug-processing laboratory, according to initial reports.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Sheinbaum said she was not informed that US officials would be taking part in the operation targeting the drug laboratory.

“We were unaware of any direct collaboration between the state of Chihuahua and personnel from the US Embassy in Mexico,” Sheinbaum said at a press conference. “The relationship is federal, not state. They must have authorization from the federal government for this collaboration, which necessarily takes place at the state level, as established by the Constitution.”

Sheinbaum said her government is requesting information from the Chihuahua state government and the US government and is reviewing whether the national security law had been violated.

Jáuregui Moreno said the two US instructors were participating in training work as part of a regular exchange of security cooperation.

“Sadly, two embassy officials who are instructors from the US embassy also died, who were carrying out training work,” he said, without specifying their identities or which agency they belonged to.

Citing initial witness statements, Jáuregui Moreno said the car in which the victims were traveling was leading a five-vehicle convoy when the accident occurred around 2 a.m. on Sunday.

“It appears that it skidded in some area and fell into a ravine, causing the truck to explode,” he said.

So far, authorities say they have found no evidence to suggest a deliberate attack and have ruled out the possibility of a confrontation at the time of the accident.

The United States ambassador to Mexico Ronald Johnson, in a message on X, mourned the deaths and said the victims had devoted their efforts to confronting “one of the greatest challenges of our time.”

“This tragedy is a solemn reminder of the risks faced by those Mexican and US officials who are dedicated to protecting our communities,” Johnson added. “It strengthens our resolve to continue their mission and advance our shared commitment to security and justice, to protect our people.”

The accident occurs amid bilateral security cooperation between Mexico and the US, which includes joint operations against drug trafficking in regions with a strong presence of organized crime such as Chihuahua.

Jáurequi Moreno said the operation was the result of an investigation lasting approximately three months, conducted jointly by the State Investigation Agency and the Secretariat of National Defense, although the president insisted that federal authorities were unaware of it.

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CNN’s Sol Amaya and Michael Rios contributed to this report.