On Sunday, a day after Mexican authorities raided ‘one of the largest drug labs ever located’, two CIA officers died in a fiery car crash in the state of Chihuahua

Pedro Ramon Oseguera Cervantes, the regional director of Chihuahua’s State Investigation Agency (AEI), and his bodyguard died in the crash along with the Americans

Crash happened as the four victims were returning from a meeting with Mexican officials to discuss a raid the next day on a huge drug lab in a remote area of the state

Mexican officials said the car swerved off the road and exploded when it fell down a ravine

Those killed were part of a joint US-Mexico effort created in the wake of an expanded American role in battling drug trafficking across the southern border with Mexico 

Pedro Ramon Oseguera Cervantes, [photo], the regional director of Chihuahua’s State Investigation Agency (AEI), was killed in Sunday’s car crash along with his bodyguard and the two CIA agents in a crash on Sunday in the state of Chihuahua, near the US-Mexico border

Two CIA officers were killed in Mexico in a fiery car crash after meeting with Mexican authorities about a raid on a narco-laboratory in northern state of Chihuahua described as one of the ‘largest ever drug labs’ in the nation.
Also killed in the car crash were two Mexican officials, now identified as the area’s chief police investigator Pedro Ramon Oseguera Cervantes, Regional Director of Chihuahua’s State Investigation Agency [AEI], along with his bodyguard. 
Mexican officials said the car swerved off the road and exploded when it fell down a ravine.  
The Americans were initially identified as US embassy officials, however sources revealed that they worked for the CIA, part of a joint US-Mexican task force representing an expanded US role in battling drug trafficking over the southern border.

On Sunday – a day after Mexican authorities busted one of the largest drug labs ever located – two CIA officers died along with their Mexican counterparts in a fiery car crash in the state of Chihuahua

The crash reportedly, happened as the quartet were on their way from a meeting with Mexican officials to discuss a raid on a huge drug facility located in a remote area of the state near the US-Mexico border, scheduled for the next day. 
President Claudia Sheinbaum launched an investigation into the crash, vowing to uncover if the alleged CIA involvement violated national security laws. |
However, according to Cesar Jauregui Moreno, the Attorney General for Chihuahua, the Americans did not directly participate in the raid on the drug lab he described as ‘perhaps one of the largest ever located’. 

President Claudia Sheinbaum, [photo], of Mexico launched an investigation into Sunday’s fatal car crash, vowing to uncover if the alleged CIA involvement violated national security laws – ‘The relationship is federal, not state. They must have authorization from the federal govt for this collaboration’

The presence of the CIA officers’ during the drug operations echoes a broader push from CIA director John Ratcliffe for a more aggressive stance against the narcotics trade. 
The agency since has increased intelligence sharing with Mexican authorities to crack down on trafficking across the border, in consonance with the stance of US president Donald Trump who several times has threatened and has meted severe reprisals against powerful cartels south of US borders, including the launch of a number of controversial air strikes on alleged drug trafficking boats in South America and the Caribbean.  
Images from last week’s raid, show a large number of canisters and drug equipment used for manufacturing methamphetamine scattered around the open-air lab in the woods.
According to official sources, the joint US-Mexican operations led to the location of the drugs lab. However, only Mexican security personnel were involved in the actual raid on April 18. 

The raid on the narco lab which Chihuahua’s attorney general, described as ‘perhaps one of the largest ever located,’ in a remote area on the Northern state Chihuahua, was carried out by Mexican security personnel on April 18

Images from the raid show a large number of canisters and drug equipment used for manufacturing methamphetamine scattered around the open-air lab

Despite the success of the bust, President Sheinbaum is demanding answers over authorization for the drug raid, insisting she is not aware of any ‘joint operations on land or in the air’ involving US authorities such as the CIA 

Speaking on Monday following the crash, President Sheinbaum said she was not informed that any US officials would be taking part in the raid: ‘We were unaware of any direct collaboration between the state of Chihuahua and personnel from the US Embassy in Mexico,’ the Mexican president said. 
‘The relationship is federal, not state. They must have authorization from the federal government for this collaboration, which necessarily takes place at the state level, as established by the Constitution.’ 
Sheinbaum said she will be demanding answers over the drug raid, insisting she is not aware of any ‘joint operations on land or in the air’ involving US authorities such as the CIA. 
US involvement in Mexico’s cartels and drug trade has become a contentious issue in the country due to a long history of what Mexican officials say are violations of its jurisdiction.