MEXICO CITY, Oct 17 - Mexican authorities arrested former Chihuahua Attorney General Cesar Jauregui on suspicion of treason after an investigation found he may have allowed foreign personnel to participate in operations reserved exclusively for national security forces, Attorney General Ernestina Godoy said on Saturday.
Prosecutors allege Jauregui allowed US agents to participate in an "irregular" raid on a suspected drug laboratory in April in the northern border state of Chihuahua without the authorization required under Mexican law.
The US acknowledged in April that two employees of its embassy in Mexico City had died, without disclosing which agency they worked for. Sources familiar with the matter said the two were CIA officers involved in anti-narcotics efforts.
The deaths rekindled sensitivities around US involvement in Mexican security operations. In the immediate aftermath, President Claudia Sheinbaum had sought to de-escalate tensions, reiterating that her government welcomes intelligence sharing and bilateral cooperation against organized crime but does not permit US agents or forces to participate directly in operations on Mexican territory.
"The investigation determined that Cesar N may have engaged in conduct that could possibly constitute the crime of treason in matters of national security because he allegedly allowed foreign individuals to intervene without authorization on Mexican territory and take part in actions that correspond exclusively to national security forces," Godoy said in a video message on Saturday.
Mexican authorities identified the suspect as "Cesar N," following the common practice of withholding a suspect's full surname during criminal proceedings.
The arrest warrant was signed by a federal judge, Godoy said, adding that it came after months of investigations.
Jauregui could not immediately be reached for comment and the US embassy declined to comment on Saturday. REUTERS