Federal prosecutors in Mexico have charged César Jáuregui Moreno, the former attorney general for the state of Chihuahua, with treason. The charges allege that Jáuregui authorized U.S. agents to participate in a field operation to dismantle a drug laboratory without obtaining federal permission. Federal investigative agents executed an arrest warrant against Jáuregui over the weekend of October 17, 2026, following his detention on separate state charges of illegal exercise of public office.
The case originates from an April 19 operation in the municipality of Morelos, where state agents and U.S. personnel dismantled a drug laboratory. During the return trip, a vehicle in the convoy fell into a ravine, killing two Mexican state investigators and two Americans. While Jáuregui initially described the Americans as instructors providing training, multiple sources later identified them as CIA agents. Mexico’s Ministry of Security stated that the Americans lacked formal accreditation for operational activities on national territory.
During a federal hearing on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, prosecutors presented approximately 150 items of evidence. Attorney General Ernestina Godoy Ramos alleged that Jáuregui permitted foreign agents to perform tasks reserved for Mexican authorities and failed to share relevant information. Jáuregui has denied the allegations, and his defense attorney, Héctor Villasana Ramírez, stated that while Jáuregui authorized the raid, he was not informed that U.S. agents would be participating in the field deployment.
The scale of the case involves an application of treason statutes, which analysts note have not been successfully prosecuted in Mexico for decades. The legal proceedings center on the April 19 deaths of four individuals and the dismantling of a laboratory described by state officials as one of the largest drug-production sites found in the country. The U.S. State Department is monitoring the case.
The case may set a precedent for how Mexico treats foreign agency involvement in local law enforcement actions. While the defense argues the charges are politically motivated ahead of 2027 midterm elections, the federal government maintains the case is a matter of national security. A federal judge is scheduled to rule on Saturday, October 24, 2026, whether to allow the treason indictment to proceed to trial. Jáuregui remains in custody while awaiting the decision.