CIA Agents Have Entered Chihuahua At Least Three Times in 2026; LA Times

BySin Embargo

This article originally appeared in the April 22, 2026 edition of Sin Embargo.

The raid to dismantle a drug lab on Sunday, in which two Americans who later died in a car accident participated, is at least the third this year in which agents from the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) joined Chihuahua authorities in a drug trafficking operation, the Los Angeles Times revealed on Wednesday.

According to sources consulted by correspondent Steve Fisher, this is not the first time the US agency has been involved in state security operations, and not just two agents participated in the operation, but four. The foreign team was reportedly divided into two cars; the first lost control and plunged into a ravine, killing the two Americans and two Mexicans on board, while the second vehicle rushed to their aid but was unsuccessful.

“The agents who participated in Sunday’s raid wore uniforms of the Chihuahua State Investigation Agency to blend in with Mexican officials, according to people familiar with the operation, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal matters,” the journalist reported.

The agency’s intervention in Mexican territory, he said, reflects the growing demands from the Donald Trump administration for results in the fight against the cartels in Mexico, despite President Claudia Sheinbaum’s repeated refusals of the military aid offered by the Republican. Furthermore, it raises questions about the scope of the agency’s activities in Mexico.

The involvement of US agents reportedly raised concerns within the Mexican President’s security cabinet, given that the CIA was working directly with state officials without notifying their Mexican counterparts.

Even during the previous Mexican administration, the government carried out an intense counterintelligence operation that tracked the efforts of U.S. law enforcement across the country, a person familiar with the operations told the reporter, but this incident would have proven otherwise.

In the morning, Claudia Sheinbaum demanded explanations from both the Chihuahua and United States authorities regarding the participation of Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) agents in the operation to dismantle a laboratory, and stressed that there was no notification to the federal government about the presence of these agents, a situation that elevated the case to a matter of national security.

Maru Campos highlighted yesterday the dismantling of a laboratory in the mountains of Chihuahua, an operation in which the CIA participated. Photo: X @MaruCampos_G

“Yesterday the Governor made some statements saying that the National Defense also participated in this activity, but evidently SEDENA was unaware that there were people participating who were not Mexican citizens and who were not part of the security agencies of the state of Chihuahua, but rather that there were foreigners participating in this operation. And this is something that should not be taken lightly by all Mexicans,” the federal leader emphasized.

Sheinbaum also emphasized that any relationship with the US government on security matters must necessarily be channeled through the federal government, in particular the Secretariat of External Relations (SRE).

President Sheinbaum even revealed that, after a review, no record was found that the Secretariat of External Relations, the Secretariat of Defense, or the Secretariat of Public Security (SSP) had been informed about the participation of these individuals.

Mexico Rejects Presence of Foreign Agents in Operations

President Sheinbaum Pardo reiterated that Mexico does not accept the direct participation of foreign agents in operations within its national territory. However, she clarified that cooperation with the United States is maintained solely through the exchange of information and technical support, but without an operational presence.

“We’ve made that very clear with the United States government. And we have other forms of collaboration and cooperation. Even when equipment from U.S. government institutions is used, it’s always equipment—not field personnel, not personnel as such—but specialized equipment. As mentioned almost a year ago, it was equipment for inspection, surveillance, and so on, always at the request of the Mexican government to request assistance.”

Because of this incident, the President reported that the Secretariat of External Relations sent a letter to the US Embassy requesting detailed information, considering that what happened is not covered by bilateral agreements. She also stated that this case is relevant to national sovereignty and cannot be ignored.