Jáuregui's Arrest Does Not Close the CIA Case in Chihuahua; Morena Demands Broader Investigations
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Morena leader Ariadna Montiel holds Governor Maru Campos politically responsible and says ex-prosecutor Guillermo Zuany must also face justice.

This article by Darylh Rodríguez originally appeared in the October 20, 2026 edition of Contralínea, a Mexican investigative journalism magazine.

The participation of agents of the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in an anti-drug operation in Chihuahua, without authorization from the federal government, constitutes a violation of national sovereignty, charged Morena. The party held the PAN administration of María Eugenia Campos politically responsible and demanded clarification of the intervention of foreign personnel on Mexican territory. It also warned that the investigations must not end with the arrest of former state prosecutor César Gustavo Jáuregui Moreno.

Morena’s national leader, Ariadna Montiel Reyes, considered that the apprehension of the former official represents progress, but insisted that it is still necessary to locate Guillermo Arturo Zuany Portillo, who served as special prosecutor for Strategic Operations and Anti-Kidnapping when the events took place.

“That one, who knows where he is, must also appear and be brought before the authorities,” said the Morena leader, who acknowledged the work of the head of the Federal Attorney General’s Office (FGR), Ernestina Godoy Ramos, in the investigations.

Montiel maintained that clarifying these events is fundamental to guaranteeing respect for national sovereignty, particularly given the intervention of foreign agents in security operations without the corresponding permits. In that context, she highlighted that the government of President Claudia Sheinbaum and her security cabinet continue working to combat crime and build peace.

The case gained prominence in April 2026, when a vehicle accident in the Sierra Tarahumara caused the deaths of two U.S. citizens linked to the CIA and two members of the Chihuahua State Attorney General’s Office (FGE). The victims were returning from the area where an operation against clandestine synthetic drug laboratories had been carried out in El Pinal, in the municipality of Morelos.

Initially, the state prosecutor’s office maintained that the foreigners had not taken part in the deployment and that they were in the region to provide training on the handling of drones. However, federal investigations later established that they took part in operational actions without the corresponding authorization.

The FGR stated that local authorities allegedly exceeded their powers by allowing foreign personnel to take part in tasks reserved for the Federation. It also indicated that Jáuregui allegedly failed to inform federal institutions in a timely manner about the activities carried out in El Pinal, despite these being crimes within their jurisdiction.

On October 17, the Chihuahua Attorney General’s Office arrested the former official for his probable responsibility in state-level crimes, including unlawful exercise of public service and coalition. Subsequently, federal authorities executed an arrest warrant for acts possibly constituting treason in matters of national security.

After appearing before a state judge, Jáuregui was placed in FGR custody and transferred to Federal Social Rehabilitation Center No. 1, known as El Altiplano, in the State of Mexico. On October 20, the initial hearing of the federal proceedings began. His criminal responsibility must be determined through the respective judicial rulings.

Since the presence of U.S. agents in Chihuahua became known, Morena has questioned the conduct of the government headed by María Eugenia Campos. The party maintains that security cooperation with the United States must be carried out through the legal and institutional mechanisms established between both countries, without allowing foreign agencies to perform operational functions outside the Mexican federal authorities.

In that context, Montiel recalled the mobilization that Morena organized on May 16 in the Chihuahua state capital to demand clarification of the case. During that day, highway blockades and obstacles were reported that allegedly prevented supporters from traveling to the rally point. The party leadership attributed these actions to attempts to stop the protest, while the accusations about the responsibility of state authorities remained subject to the corresponding complaints.

“The people of Delicias were left stuck because supposed farmers had closed the highway, when afterwards the farmers distanced themselves from an action of this kind,” Montiel said. She added that, despite the difficulties, the participants carried on with the protest because they considered that the foreign intervention represented a serious violation of national sovereignty.

The leader explained that, after that mobilization, Morena undertook an information campaign to make known what happened in Chihuahua and to keep alive the demand that all possible responsibilities be investigated.

Another of the matters pointed out by the party is cooperation with U.S. agencies through the Torre Centinela, located in Ciudad Juárez. Luis Ángel Aguirre Rodríguez, who took over the State Public Security Secretariat in October, currently heads the agency that administers this complex.

However, it was his predecessor, Gilberto Loya Chávez, who during his tenure spoke of allocating the 18th floor of the building to information-sharing and collaboration activities with U.S. agencies, among them the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and other federal law enforcement agencies. The proposal raised questions about its legal scope and the required authorization mechanisms. It has not been established that said space was assigned to the CIA.

Referring to the investigations against PAN members, Montiel stated:

The first PAN member arrested for fiscal fuel theft is Ernesto Ruffo, and the first PAN member arrested for treason is César Jáuregui.

Ariadna Montiel Reyes, Morena national leader

She also recalled that, before his capture, the former prosecutor had publicly defended the operation and stated that he would carry it out again.

The leader reiterated that the investigations must go all the way, without being limited to the arrested former official, to determine who authorized, coordinated, or facilitated the participation of foreign personnel in the security tasks carried out in Chihuahua.

The post Jáuregui’s Arrest Does Not Close the CIA Case in Chihuahua; Morena Demands Broader Investigations appeared first on Mexico Solidarity Media.

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