FGR Opens Two Investigations into Case Involving U.S. Agents in Chihuahua

The FGR initiated the investigations after confirming the presence in the country of two U.S. citizens allegedly linked to security agencies.

Probing possible crimes related to national security.

The Attorney General’s Office (FGR) announced the opening of two investigations regarding the presence of two U.S. agents in the Chihuahua highlands, following an operation that resulted in the dismantling of a synthetic drug laboratory in the community of El Pinal, situated between the municipalities of Morelos and Guachochi.

The FGR explained that the first investigation relates to the discovery of the clandestine laboratory; the second was initiated following statements made by the then-head of the Chihuahua State Attorney General’s Office, César Jáuregui Moreno. On April 19, Jáuregui Moreno reported the deaths of two individuals—members of an unspecified U.S. security agency—during an accident in which the Director of the State Investigation Agency (AEI), Pedro Román Oseguera Cervantes, and officer Manuel Genaro Méndez Montes also lost their lives.

Due to the potential commission of crimes involving national security, the inquiry has been placed under the charge of the Special Prosecutor’s Office for the Investigation and Litigation of Complex Cases, a division of the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for Regional Control (FECOR).

Furthermore, the FGR noted that—following repeated requests—it did not receive a copy of the local case file from the Chihuahua Attorney General’s Office until April 27. Consequently, “the investigative actions carried out by that ministerial authority are currently being analyzed for integration into the aforementioned federal case files.”

The institution, led by Ernestina Godoy Ramos, stated that responsibilities will be assigned based on the findings of the inquiries, and pledged to report the results “in a transparent and timely manner.”

The Chihuahua Prosecutor’s Office’s Account

Yesterday, while the FGR (Attorney General’s Office) was receiving the local case file, César Jáuregui Moreno resigned as the Prosecutor of Chihuahua—moments after Wendy Chávez Villanueva, the head of the Specialized Unit tasked with investigating the events that occurred between April 17 and 19, acknowledged that there are indications “suggesting” the possible “unofficial collaboration” of U.S. agents in the operation to dismantle the drug laboratory in El Pinal.

In public statements, the prosecutor provided a timeline of events—spanning from April 16 to 19—reconstructed based on 50 interviews and 10 expert forensic reports.

Around 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, April 16, a convoy of approximately 40 agents from the State Investigation Agency (AEI) departed from the city of Chihuahua, heading toward the mountainous region. Traveling in two of the vehicles were the agency’s director, Pedro Román Oseguera Cervantes, and his security detail.

At that point, four individuals dressed in plain clothes—carrying neither firearms nor badges that would identify them as members of any security agency—joined the convoy; nevertheless, they reported directly to the director.

At 4:30 p.m., the convoy arrived at the military barracks in Guachochi. There, the head of the AEI held a private meeting with the military commander, “presumably to finalize details of the operation.” The civilian individuals did not participate in that meeting, nor did they have any contact with military commanders, according to Chávez Villanueva.

One hour later—around 5:30 p.m.—the contingent resumed its advance, now accompanied by eight units from the Secretariat of National Defense (SEDENA), comprising nearly 50 troops.

In the early hours of Friday, April 17—at 4:30 a.m.—the convoy continued its progress along rural dirt tracks. At 7:30 a.m., the convoy passed through the village of Morelos; after several hours of travel along difficult-to-access roads, it arrived at 3:30 p.m. at the locality of El Pinal, where military personnel and members of the state prosecutor’s office established a camp.

On Saturday, April 18, at 6:00 a.m., foot patrols began, carried out by agents of the AEI and the Ministry of Defense. At 7:45 a.m., the Director of the AEI notified the FGR (Attorney General’s Office) of the discovery of a clandestine laboratory; the site remained under guard until 5:30 p.m., when the order was given to return to the state capital.

Later, around 1:50 a.m. on Sunday, April 19, in the vicinity of the village of Polanco, one of the vehicles in the convoy lost control on a dirt road with poor visibility and plunged into a ravine. The accident claimed the lives of the AEI Director—Officer Manuel Genaro Méndez Montes—and two of the civilians “of foreign nationality” who were traveling in the same vehicle.

Security personnel traveling in another vehicle came to the aid of the victims; one bodyguard stated that the deceased civilians were U.S. citizens serving as liaisons for the U.S. Embassy.

Subsequently, the bodies were transported to Guachochi and then to the city of Chihuahua. The remains of the foreign nationals were claimed by the U.S. Consulate in Ciudad Juárez, which provided their identities but didn’t specify their institutional affiliation.

Although the U.S. agents weren’t officially part of the operation—and despite the fact that their presence “wasn’t reported to superior officers” and their interactions were limited to the AEI Director and his immediate team—the only official who has resigned thus far is César Jáuregui Moreno.

Source: La Razón