Two U.S. government staffers killed in a car crash in Chihuahua, Mexico, were reportedly CIA officers working in antidrug operations, according to news reports; the crash also killed the head of the Chihuahua State Investigations Agency and a state police officer.

Details of the Incident

Chihuahua Attorney General Cesar Jauregui denied any involvement of foreign agents in the mountain drug lab raid in the rural southwestern corner of the state. The two U.S. government staffers were in a vehicle with the head of the Chihuahua State Investigations Agency, Pedro Román Oseguera Cervantes, who was also killed in the wreck early Sunday, April 19, along with a state police agent, Manuel Genaro Méndez Montes.

U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ronald Johnson, in a post on X on Sunday, indicated the Americans were involved in anti-drug efforts. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum is demanding answers, referring to the incident as a matter of national sovereignty.

CIA Involvement

The CIA officers were collaborating with Mexican officials on expanded anti-narcotics operations in Mexico, CNN reported. The Washington Post was the first to report that they worked for the CIA. Two coffins draped by Mexican flags sat in front of floral displays during a memorial ceremony in Chihuahua City attended Monday by Chihuahua Gov. Maru Campos, Mexican military and federal, state and local law enforcement and government officials.

Separate ICE Incident in Portland

Meanwhile, in a separate incident, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed to the TV network Fox that two individuals injured by ICE agents in Portland, Oregon, are of Venezuelan nationality. Authorities justified the incident as an act of self-defense. The agents reportedly stopped a vehicle driven by a suspected immigrant linked to a criminal network, who attempted to flee upon identification.

According to the Portland Police Department, the incident is under investigation. The two injured individuals were taken to a local hospital, though their health conditions and identities remain unknown. This incident occurred 24 hours after an ICE agent fatally shot Renee Good, a 37-year-old American woman, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, sparking widespread protests against ICE operations across the country.