Mexico’s president tries to play down deaths of 2 CIA agents amid fears of diplomatic crisis with Trump admin

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Monday ruled out a conflict with the United States over an incident involving two CIA agents who died in an accident in the state of Chihuahua — agents who, according to Mexico, were not authorized to operate in the country.

During her morning news briefing, Sheinbaum expressed her willingness to move past the controversy that surfaced last week, saying that while she hopes this remains an isolated case, the federal government expects the U.S. to respect Mexico’s constitution and national security laws moving forward.

“Let us hope this is an exceptional case ... and that a situation like this never happens again,” she said.

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Mexico’s Ministry of Security said Saturday that one of the U.S. agents had entered Mexico as a visitor, while the other had done so using a diplomatic passport. It further reiterated that it was unaware that foreign agents were operating within its territory.

The CIA has declined to comment.

The deceased Americans were members of the CIA, a U.S. official and two other individuals familiar with the matter confirmed to The Associated Press last week, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the intelligence matters involved.

Last year, the Mexican government reached an agreement with the Trump administration on a plan to coordinate actions and exchange information regarding security, while respecting the sovereignty of both countries.

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On Monday, Sheinbaum insisted that the details of the operation in Chihuahua must be clarified, and she urged the Attorney General’s Office and the relevant authorities to take action on the case following the upcoming debate in the Senate.

Chihuahua Gov. María Eugenia Campos, a prominent opposition figure, has been called to testify in Mexico City on Tuesday alongside State Attorney César Jáuregui.

For decades, the presence of the CIA and the Drug Enforcement Administration, DEA, in Mexico has been marked by controversy. Their activities typically come to light when problems arise — as happened in 2012, when a U.S. Embassy vehicle was shot at on the outskirts of Mexico City and two CIA agents were wounded.