Two CIA agents who were participating in anti-narcotics operations in the Mexican state of Chihuahua were reportedly killed in a fiery crash after their vehicle went off a cliff and dropped 600 feet down a ravine Sunday. They had just conducted a major raid:
The two C.I.A. officers, along with two Mexican officials, were killed when their vehicle crashed while returning from an operation led by Mexico’s armed forces to dismantle clandestine methamphetamine labs in the mountains, said the authorities in the state of Chihuahua, where the accident occurred.
The people confirming the Americans’ identity spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive details of the episode.
The C.I.A. declined to comment.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said at a press conference Monday that she did not know about the operation and wants answers:
🇲🇽 Mexican president demands answers after car crash kills four officials, including two U.S. officials linked to embassy, revealing secret anti-narcotics operation
— Drop Site (@DropSiteNews) April 20, 2026
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum is soliciting answers from the U.S. Embassy and the government of Chihuahua… https://t.co/Xrr2stM3kD pic.twitter.com/1UbJkD3Qi4
The above tweet continues:
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum is soliciting answers from the U.S. Embassy and the government of Chihuahua after four officials, including two U.S. officials linked to the embassy, died in a car accident following an anti-narcotics operation. The accident inadvertently revealed previously unknown cooperation between the U.S. Embassy and the state of Chihuahua in Mexico, with Sheinbaum stating in a press conference Monday that her government did not have knowledge of the direct participation of U.S. officials in operations with the state of Chihuahua.
Pie de Nota journalist Luis Chaparro reports that the two personnel killed were CIA.
The Mexican leader said that her administration does not authorize joint actions of that kind inside Mexico at any level, with collaboration limited to intelligence sharing, and that joint work must be carried out under a strict framework of respect for sovereignty. Mexico passed strict legislation in 2020 that requires that all collaboration with foreign agents receive prior authorization at the federal level. The president ordered that information be gathered to determine whether legal provisions were violated.
U.S. Ambassador Ron Johnson acknowledged the incident, expressing his condolences in a post on social media; meanwhile, the State Department declined to comment.
Trump's Big, Beautiful Cartel Crackdown: 92 Cartel Members Extradited Before Jalisco Raid
President Donald Trump has focused on the scourge of the drug cartels after former President Joe Biden empowered them by opening up our southern border to any and all comers.
As part of CIA Director John Ratcliffe’s increased focus on tackling drug gangs, the agency has shared more intelligence with Mexican anti-drug units and increased training for local forces, according to current and former officials.
That work has also included flying unarmed MQ-9 Reaper drones over Mexico to help track cartel leaders and local drug labs in remote areas of the country.
“Countering drug cartels in Mexico and regionally is a priority for the 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 the CIA’s unique expertise to work against this multifaceted challenge,” the agency told CNN in a statement last year.
Sheinbaum may want answers, but she needs to get on board or get out of the way. Mexico has not done nearly enough to combat the cartels, and if they won’t do it, we will, apparently.
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