Second Chihuahua Prosecutor Resigns Over CIA Scandal

ByMexico Solidarity

This article originally appeared in the May 13, 2026 edition of Sin Embargo.

Guillermo Arturo Zuany Portillo resigned Tuesday night from his position as Prosecutor of Strategic Operations and Anti-Kidnapping of the Attorney General’s Office (FGE) of Chihuahua, after an internal investigation revealed the presence of US agents inside facilities of that corporation, linked to an operation against a suspected “drug lab”.

Sources from the FGE confirmed the departure of the official, who previously headed the State Investigation Agency (AEI), while investigations continue into the events that occurred between April 17 and 19 in the El Pinal mountain range, in the municipality of Morelos.

The case gained greater relevance after the accident that occurred after the operation, in which Román Oseguera Cervantes, who was in charge of the AEI, died, as well as his escort and two US agents.

According to local media, Zuany Portillo submitted his resignation to the Governor of Chihuahua, Maru Campos, as well as to the acting head of the FGE, Francisco Sáenz Soto, on Tuesday afternoon.

The move occurred in parallel with the report on the progress of the internal investigation led by Prosecutor Wendy Paola Chávez Villanueva, who documented the visit of foreign persons inside the facilities of the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for Strategic Operations and Anti-Kidnapping before the operation in the mountains.

The report also pointed to evidence that some officials may have been aware of the presence of these agents during the deployment-related work.

Chihuahua Governor Maru Campos Maintains She Did Not Authorize CIA Presence

Governor Maru Campos, a member of the National Action Party (PAN), asserted that she was never aware of the presence of foreign agents in the operation carried out in the Sierra Tarahumara, and affirmed that the investigations will continue “no matter who is implicated.”

In a recorded message, the state governor defended the operation carried out in El Pinal, where more than 55,000 liters of chemical substances, 50 tons of precursors, and nearly 2,000 liters of methamphetamine were seized, according to data from the Attorney General’s Office (FGR).

The Governor also maintained that the deployment was designed and executed by the areas with criminal investigation powers and denied having authorized or known about the participation of foreign persons.

“At no time did I manage, authorize, or have any knowledge of the presence of foreign persons in that action,” she declared.

The Governor of Chihuahua also responded to the criticism and accused Morena of launching political attacks against her administration as a result of the open investigations, and also stated that she had instructed the creation of a specialized unit to investigate the events and assured that his government is collaborating with the Attorney General’s Office to clarify what happened: “We have nothing to hide.”