Former Chihuahua Attorney General Cesar Jauregui has been arrested in Mexico on suspicion of treason after investigators alleged he authorised US personnel to participate in a drug laboratory raid without the approval required under Mexican law.
Mexico’s Attorney General Ernestina Godoy announced the arrest on Saturday, saying investigations had established grounds to suspect Jauregui allowed foreign nationals to take part in an operation reserved for the country’s national security forces.
The case centres on a raid conducted in April at a suspected drug laboratory in Chihuahua, a northern Mexican state bordering the United States. Prosecutors allege that US agents participated in the operation without the necessary authorisation from Mexican authorities.
The controversy intensified after two employees of the US Embassy in Mexico City died in April. Although Washington confirmed their deaths, it did not publicly disclose their agency affiliations. Sources familiar with the matter later identified the two as Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officers involved in anti-narcotics activities.
Their deaths renewed debate over the extent of US involvement in Mexico’s security operations and the limits of cooperation between the two countries. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has maintained that her government supports intelligence sharing and joint efforts to combat organised crime but does not permit foreign agents or security forces to directly participate in operations on Mexican territory.
In a video statement, Godoy said investigators suspected Jauregui had allowed foreign personnel to intervene in Mexico without the legally required authorisation and participate in activities reserved for national security forces.
Authorities identified the suspect as “Cesar N”, following the practice of withholding a suspect’s full surname during criminal proceedings. Godoy said a federal judge had issued the arrest warrant after months of investigations.
Jauregui could not immediately be reached for comment, while the US Embassy declined to comment on the arrest. The allegations remain subject to the judicial process, and Jauregui has not been convicted of the offence.
