By Natasha Bertrand, Jim Sciutto, CNN
(CNN) – The two US embassy officials who lost their lives in a car accident in Mexico on Sunday were employees of the CIA and had been working with Mexican authorities on expanded counternarcotics efforts, according to two sources familiar with the situation who spoke to CNN.
Two officials from Chihuahua’s State Investigation Agency (AEI) also perished in the crash. The CIA officers and the Mexican officials were returning from a drug raid in Morelos when their vehicle collided on the Chihuahua-Ciudad Juárez highway, as per initial reports.
The details surrounding the accident are still being looked into, one source said.
CNN has reached out to the CIA for a statement.
The Washington Post was the first to disclose that they were associated with the CIA.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum stated Monday that her administration had been “unaware of any direct collaboration between the state of Chihuahua and personnel from the US Embassy in Mexico.”
“The relationship is federal, not state,” she explained. “They must have authorization from the federal government for this collaboration, which necessarily takes place at the state level, as established by the Constitution.”
The US Ambassador to Mexico shared on X on Sunday that “we are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of two U. S. Embassy personnel, the Director of Chihuahua’s State Investigation Agency (AEI), and an AEI officer in this accident.”
He added that “this tragedy is a solemn reminder of the risks faced by those Mexican and U. S. officials who are dedicated to protecting our communities.”
The CIA has notably increased its activities in Mexico under Director John Ratcliffe, and during Trump’s presidency, there was a strong push to redirect various counterterrorism resources toward combating cartels along both sides of the border.
The CIA began covertly flying MQ-9 Reaper drones over Mexico last year to monitor drug cartels and also reviewed its authority regarding using lethal force against them within Mexico, CNN has reported.
The agency told CNN last year that “countering drug cartels in Mexico and regionally is a priority for CIA as a part of the Trump Administration’s broader efforts to end the grave threat from narco-trafficking. Director Ratcliffe is determined to put CIA’s unique expertise to work against this multifaceted challenge.”
The-CNN-Wire
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