Deaths of 2 CIA agents in Mexico after Cartel drug lab raid under investigation

Two Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officers were killed in Mexico over the weekend while returning from an operation targeting Cartel-affiliated drug labs in the northern state of Chihuahua. They died in a vehicle crash along with two Mexican investigators, who were also involved in the operation, authorities said.

The circumstances surround the crash are under investigation, according to CNN. This comes as President Trump has repeatedly stated his intention to dismantle the Cartels, pressuring Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum to crack down on their drug labs. The US Embassy said that the killed US officials were "supporting Chihuahua state authorities' efforts to combat cartel operations."

President Sheinbaum claimed during a Tuesday press conference that her administration was "not aware of any direct work or coordination" between the state of Chihuahua and the US Embassy in Mexico. She added that Mexico does not permit joint operations with foreign governments and that work is limited to intelligence sharing.

“A full investigation must be carried out by the prosecutor’s office to determine whether the Constitution or the National Security Law was violated,” Sheinbaum said.

However, Chihuahua state prosecutor Cesar Jauregui Moreno offered a different account, stating in a press briefing, "Two instructor officers from the US Embassy died while carrying out training duties as part of the exchange we generally and routinely have with US authorities."

Moreno added, according to Fox News, that this was "part of our regular exchange" and that Americans had "always supported us with advisory support and training."

Christine Balling, a counterinsurgency expert, told the network that despite the operations being limited to advisory support and training, it's a normal practice for US personnel to conduct training in operational settings. "People think training is just in the classroom — it's not," she said. "Those officers would be working with partner forces on things like strategy or technology, including drones."

"It makes perfect sense that they would be on site when an operation is carried out and be vulnerable," she explained.

Officials said the two CIA agents were not involved in the drug raid, but met up with Mexican investigators after the raid concluded. They explained that President Sheinbaum was likely not aware of the operation.

Additionally, Sheinbaum has been trying to distance herself from American involvement amid increased threats from Trump to annihilate Mexico's drug cartels with US military intervention. Last month, President Trump told Western Hemisphere leaders it's time to treat cartels like ISIS and eradicate them.