Former Chihuahua Attorney General Arrested on Treason Charges Over Unauthorized CIA Raid
César Jáuregui faces treason charges following an unauthorized drug raid involving CIA agents. Policy Wire examines the fallout and his recent resignation.
POLICY WIRE — Chihuahua, Mexico — César Jáuregui Moreno, the former attorney general of Chihuahua, has been taken into custody on charges of treason. The arrest follows a high-profile scandal involving an unauthorized anti-drug operation that included the participation of United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) personnel.
The legal action against Jáuregui stems from an irregular raid conducted in April on a suspected drug laboratory. Prosecutors allege that the former official permitted U.S. agents to join the operation without obtaining the necessary legal authorizations.
The controversy intensified following a fatal car accident on April 19, which resulted in the deaths of two CIA agents and several Mexican officials. The incident brought the clandestine nature of the operation to light, triggering a months-long investigation by state prosecutors and the Mexican military.
Jáuregui officially resigned from his post on April 27. During a press conference held in Chihuahua, he acknowledged that his office had provided inconsistent information regarding the presence of American personnel during the raid, citing internal omissions and failures by his staff to keep him fully informed.
Ernestina Godoy, head of the Fiscalía General de la República (FGR), confirmed the arrest, noting that the charges center on the crime of treason. Despite the political fallout and the resignation of a top state official, the Mexican president has stated that the ongoing investigation into the unauthorized operation will continue without interruption.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)